Wednesday week," said Edward Henry. This defiance
of her put him into an extremely agitated felicity.

"Now, my dear Mr. Machin--"

He was acutely aware of the charm she was exerting, and yet he
discovered that he could easily withstand it.

"Now, my dear Miss April, please don't try to take advantage of your
beauty!"

She sat up. She was apparently measuring herself and him.

"Then you won't change the day, truly?" Her urbanity was in no wise
impaired.

"I won't," he laughed lightly. "I daresay you aren't used to people
like me, Miss April."

(She might get the better of Seven Sachs, but not of him, Edward Henry
Machin from the Five Towns!)

"Marrier!" said he, suddenly, with a bluff, humorous downrightness,
"you know you're in a very awkward position here, and you know you've
got to see Alloyd for me before six o'clock. Be off with you. I will
be responsible for Miss April."

("I'll show these Londoners!" he said to himself. "It's simple enough
when you once get into it.")

And he did in fact succeed in dismissing Mr. Marrier, after the latter
had talked Azure business with Miss April for a couple of minutes.

"I must go too," said Elsie, imperturbable, impenetrable.

"One moment," he entreated, and masterfully signalled Marrier to
depart. After all he was paying the fellow three pounds a week.

She watched Marrier thread his way out. Already she had put on her
gloves.

"I must go," she repeated; her rich red lips then closed definitely.

"Have you a motor here?" Edward Henry asked.

"No."

"Then if I may I'll see you home."

"You may," she said, gazing full at him. Whereby he was somewhat
startled and put out of countenance.

V

"Are we friends?" he asked roguishly.

"I hope so," she said, with no diminution of her inscrutability.

They were in a taxi-cab, rolling along the Embankment towards the
Buckingham Palace Hotel, where she said she lived. He was happy. "Why
am I happy?" he thought. "_What_ is there in her that makes me happy?"
He did not know. But he knew that he had never been in a taxi-cab, or
anywhere else, with any woman half so elegant. Her elegance flattered
him enormously. Here he was, a provincial man of business, ruffling it
with the best of them!... And she was young in her worldly maturity.
Was she twenty-seven? She could not be more. She looked straight in
front of her, faintly smiling.... Yes, he was fully aware that he was
a married man. He had a distinct vis