giving all her attention to the
young man who was the least good to her!

We came down into the sitting-room of the "Refuge." It seemed furnished
chiefly with wicker chairs, and brilliant houseboat cushions and very
stagey-looking photographs with huge autographs, put at right angles to
everything else. When we came down to this retreat we found that it was
occupied only by Miss Vi Vassity, leaning back very comfortably in a
deck-chair, and blowing smoke rings from the cigarette that was fastened
into a tiny silver holder, while opposite to her there was seated,
looking very conscientious and gravely interested, my mistress's
American cousin, Mr. Hiram P. Jessop himself.

"Why, where is Mr. Burke got to?" said Million, with a note of
unmistakable disappointment in her voice.

I knew that the poor little thing had been overwhelmingly anxious to
show herself off once more befittingly dressed before the blue,
black-lashed eyes that had last beheld her in somebody else's far too
voluminous garments. "I thought he was still with you, Vi?"

Miss Vi Vassity gave a shrewd, amused laugh.

"Not here, not here, my child!" she quoted lazily. "Our friend Jim said
he had got to push on up to London. He left plenty of messages and kind
loves and so forth for you. And you needn't go bursting yourself with
anxiety that he won't be turning up here again before we are any of us
much older or younger (seeing the jobs some of us have got to keep off
the enemy). He'll be down again presently all right. However, one off,
another on. Here is a new boy for you to play with, Nellie. Says he's a
cousin of yours," with a wave of her cigarette towards Mr. Jessop, who
had now risen to his very Americanly booted feet. "I believe it's true,
too," rattled on Miss Vassity. "He looks to me altogether too wide awake
to work off an old wheeze like 'cousins' if it were not a true one.
Well, cheery-oh, children. I am just off to see if poor Maudie upstairs
has had her gruel. I will leave you to fall into each other's arms. Come
along, Miss Smith. I daresay I can get that nurse to let you have a look
at the new little nipper if you are keen."

I had been standing all this time, of course, examining the photographs
inscribed "Yours to a cinder, Archie," and "To darling Vi, from her
faithful old pal, Gertie."

Now I moved quickly towards the door which Miss Vi Vassity had swung
open.

But my mistress, with a quick little movement, stopped me. "Smith, d