ore of that very showy
young rake! And not her fortune.

I said, feeling suddenly more grown-up and sensible than I've ever been
in my life: "You will have to leave word that you are not at home
to-morrow afternoon."

"Very well, Miss Smith," said my employer blankly. She sat for a minute
silent in the hotel easy-chair, holding the carnations. Then her small,
disappointed face lighted up a little.

"But I shall be at home," she reminded me, with a note of hope in her
tone. "Got to be. It's Thursday to-morrow."

"What about that?" I said, wondering if Million were again harking back
to the rules of her previous existence. Thursday is my Aunt Anastasia's
"day" for the stair-rods and the fenders, and the whole of No. 45 is
wont to reek with Brasso. Could Million have meant----

No.

She took up: "Don't you remember? Thursday afternoon was when that other
young gentleman was going to drop in. Him from the bank. That Mr.
Brace. He'll be coming. You said he might."

"So he is," I said. "But that won't make any difference. You'll be 'at
home' to him. Not to Mr. Burke. That's all."

"I can't be in two places at once, and they're both coming at four,"
argued the artless Million. "How can I say I'm not at home, when----"

"Oh, Million! It just shows you never could have been in service in very
exalted situations," I laughed. "Don't you know that 'not at home'
simply means you don't wish to see that particular visitor?"

Little Million's whole face was eloquent of the retort. "But I do wish
to see him!" She did not say it. She gave a very hard sniff at the
carnations in her hand, and suggested diffidently and rather shakily:
"P'raps Mr. Brace might have liked to see another gentleman here? More
company for him."

I paused before I answered.

A sudden thought had struck me.

Men are supposed to be so much better at summing up other men's
characters at a glance than women are.

In spite of what Aunt Anastasia has said about "insufferable young
bounders," I believe that this Mr. Reginald Brace is a thoroughly nice,
clear-sighted sort of young man. I feel that one could rely upon his
judgment of people. I'm sure that one could trust him to be sincere and
fair.

Why not consult him about this new, would-be friend of Million's?

Why not be guided by him? He was the only available man I could be
guided by, after all.

So I said: "Well, Million, on second thoughts, of course, if you have
another man here, it isn't