ation was nothing to his supreme
politeness now.

"And now," he said, as if he were asking everybody's pardon for an
entirely unintentional intrusion, "I really must be getting back to
Southampton--and you and Rose I imagine have still quite a bit to talk
over--"

"But--" said Oliver clumsily, "but Mr. Piper--" and "Must you really,
dear?" said Mrs. Severance in the softest tones of conventional wifely
reproach.

Her manner was ideal but Oliver somehow and suddenly felt all the
admiration he had ever had for her calm power blow away from him like
smoke. He could not help extremest appreciation of her utter poise--he
never would be able to, he supposed--but from now on it would be the
somewhat shivery appreciation that anyone with sensitive nerves might
give to the smooth mechanical efficiency of a perfectly-appointed
electric-chair.

"No," said Mr. Piper perfectly, "I insist. You certainly could not have
finished your discussion before I came and for the present--well--it
seems to me that I have intruded quite long enough. I wish it," he added
and Oliver understood.

"You are staying with us, over tomorrow, Oliver, are you not?" said Mr.
Piper calmly, and Oliver assented. "I suppose we shall see each other at
breakfast then?"

"Oh yes, sir." And then Oliver tried to rise to Mr. Piper's magnificence
of conventionality in remark. "By the way, sir, I'm driving back in
Peter's car--as soon as Mrs. Severance and I have finished our talk--I
couldn't pick you up anywhere, sir, could I?"

Mr. Piper smiled, consulting his watch. "There is an excellent train at
10.33--an excellent one--" he said, and again Oliver was dumfounded
to realize that the whole march of events in the apartment had taken
scarcely two hours.

"Thank you, Oliver, but I think I had better take that. Not that I
distrust your driving in the least, but it will be fairly slow going, I
imagine, over some of those roads at night--and this was one evening on
which I had really intended to get a good night's sleep."

He smiled again very quaintly.

"You'll be dancing as soon as you get back, I suppose? I understand
there is to be a dance this evening?"

"Yes, sir--at least, I guess so. Told Peter I'd show up."

"Youth," said Mr. Piper. "Youth." There was a certain accent of
dolefulness in the way he said it.

"And now I shall call a taxi," he said briskly.

"Can't I take you down--?" Oliver began, but

"No, no. I insist," said Mr. Piper a little