great men of
science who have become ineffective, quarrelsome, isolated members
of Parliament); saying it was a great loss to Science and no gain to
the legislature.

As to Frank Gardner, she was equally eager for a long explanatory
talk with him. Except that her life had inured her to surprises and
unexpected meetings, it was sufficiently amazing that Frank and she,
who had not seen each other or touched hands for thirteen years,
should meet thus in a dangerous scuffle in a dense struggling crowd
outside the Houses of Parliament. She must so arrange matters after
lunch that Frank should not prevent her hour's talk with Rossiter,
yet should have the long explanation he himself deserved. An idea.
She would telephone to Praddy and invite herself and Frank to tea at
his studio after she had left the Rossiters.

Mrs. Rossiter was used to unexpected guests at lunch. People on
terms of familiarity dropped in, or the Professor detained some
colleague or pupil and made him sit down to the meal which was
always prepared and seated for four. Therefore she was not
particularly taken aback when her husband appeared at five minutes
to one in the little drawing-room and after requesting that the
macaw and the cockatoo might be removed for the nonce to a back
room--as they made sustained conversation impossible, announced that
he expected momently--ah! there was the bell--two persons whose
acquaintance he was sure Linda would like to make. One was Captain
Frank Gardner, who owned a big ranch in Rhodesia, and--er--the
other--oh no! no relation--was Miss Warren....

"What, one of the Warrens of Huddersfield? Well, I never! And where
did you pick her up? Strange she shouldn't have written to me she
was coming up to town! I could--"

"No, this is a Miss Vivien Warren--"

"Vivien? How curious, why that is the name of the Adams's little
girl--"

"A Miss Vivien Warren," went on Rossiter patiently--"a well-known
Suffragist who--"

"Oh Michael! _Not_ a Suffragette!" wailed Mrs. Rossiter, imagining
vitriol was about to be thrown over the surviving pug and damage
done generally to the furniture--But at this moment the butler
announced: "Captain Frank Gardner and Miss Warren."

Gardner was well enough, a lean soldierly-looking man, brown with
the African sun, with pleasant twinkling blue eyes, a thick
moustache and curly hair, just a little thin on the top. His face
was rather scarred with African adventure and did not show much
spec