use she was not feeling particularly amused.

"I have a business in the city of London," he said, "and again I would
ask you to respect my confidence. I am a wheat expert."

"A wheat expert?" she repeated with a puzzled frown.

"It's a queer job, isn't it? but that's what I am. I have a vacancy in
my office for a confidential secretary. It is a nice office, the pay is
good, the hours are few and the work is light. I want to know whether
you will accept the position."

She shook her head, regarding him with a new interest, from which
suspicion was not altogether absent.

"It is awfully kind of you, Mr. Beale, and adds another to the debts I
owe you," she said, "but I have no desire to leave Punsonby's. It is
work I like, and although I am sure you are not interested in my
private business"--he could have told her that he was very much
interested in her private business, but he refrained--"I do not mind
telling you that I am earning a very good salary and I have no intention
or desire to change my situation."

His eyes twinkled.

"Ah well, that's my misfortune," he said, "there are only two things I
can say. The first is that if you work for me you will neither be
distressed nor annoyed by any habits of mine which you may have observed
and which may perhaps have prejudiced you against me. In the second
place, I want you to promise me that if you ever leave Punsonby's you
will give me the first offer of your services."

She laughed.

"I think you are very funny, Mr. Beale, but I feel sure that you mean
what you say, and that you would confine your--er--little eccentricities
to times outside of business hours. As far as leaving Punsonby's is
concerned I promise you that I will give you the first offer of my
invaluable services if ever I leave. And now I am afraid I must run
away. I am awfully obliged to you for what you did for me last night."

He looked at her steadily in the eye.

"I have no recollection of anything that happened last night," he said,
"and I should be glad if your memory would suffer the same lapse."

He shook hands with her, lifted his hat and turned abruptly away, and
she looked after him till the boom of the clock recalled her to the fact
that the head of the firm of Punsonby was a stickler for punctuality.

She went into the great cloak-room and hung up her coat and hat. As she
turned to the mirror to straighten her hair she came face to face with a
tall, dark girl who had been eyeing h