am_ hungry. I have been
walking for hours, and I am perished with hunger."

"Will you join us? Madame Malaumain is getting us some coffee----"

Theo obviously expected a refusal to this invitation, but Joyselle
accepted it without hesitation, and drawing up a chair, sat down.

"Where have you two been?" he asked.

While Theo gave him a description of their walk, Brigit watched the
violinist.

He had pushed back his hat and from under it his hair hung in curly
disorder over his brow. He was very pale and his eyes were circled by
violet rings. He looked very ill indeed, but Brigit knew that it was no
physical pain that was tormenting him.

"Very pleasant," he murmured to his son with a visible effort,
"delightful." Madame Malaumain arriving with a tablecloth announced the
cheerful fact that the water was boiling, recognised him with delight,
and told him in all innocence that he as well as she had grown no
younger since their last meeting.

"M. Malaumain will be delighted to see you," she added; "it is not often
that he meets one as cultivated as himself."

Joyselle bowed gravely. "Can you give me some coffee, too, Madame
Malaumain?" he asked. "I am very--hungry."

But when the coffee and eggs arrived, he did not eat; instead, he sat
moodily playing with his spoon and staring at the tablecloth.

Brigit's appetite had fled, and she was most uneasy as she watched him,
for she did not dare risk an explosion by putting the smallest question
to him.

Something was very wrong, and she was alarmed. Suddenly, as a clock
struck half-past six, he rose. "_Au revoir_, my children," he said, "I
must get back home. Theo will call for you at ten minutes to ten,
Brigitte, my--my daughter!"

And he was gone, leaving Theo staring after him.

"What can be the matter?" the young man mused. "He looks very bad,
doesn't he? It is too early for letters to have come. He can't----" He
paused and a quick smile stirred his moustache and showed his white
teeth.

"Can't what?" queried Brigit, vaguely annoyed by his smile.

"He can't have fallen in love----"

"Of course he can't!"

"No. But only because he hasn't seen anyone since the night before last.
He is amazing about his love-affairs, dear, in and out before you can
get your breath, and always madly sincere!"

"I know, 'He always cares for the time,'" she quoted softly, pushing
away her cup. "Let's go, Theo, I want to get a sleep before we go to
church."

He was surprise