ut of course Peggy will be
wild to go to him, so I thought I'd wait and take her to-morrow, eh!
what?"

Side by side they began walking down the long reception-room. Vanderlyn
was telling himself, with a feeling of sore, dull pain, that this was
the first time, the very first time, that he had ever known Tom Pargeter
show a kindly touch of consideration for his wife. But then this
concerned the boy, of whom the father, in his careless way, was fond and
proud; their child had always remained a link, if a slight link, between
Tom and Peggy.

"It was just too late to get a wire through to her," went on Pargeter,
fretfully, "I mean to that God-forsaken place where she's staying with
Madame de Lera; but I've arranged for her to be wired to early in the
morning. If I'd been half sharp I'd have sent the trolley for her----"

"The trolley?" repeated Vanderlyn, mechanically.

"The motor--the motor, man! But it never occurred to me to do it till it
was too late."

"Would you like me to go out to-morrow morning and fetch her back?"
asked Vanderlyn slowly.

"I wish you would!" cried the other eagerly, "then I should be sure of
her coming back in time for us to start by the twelve-twenty train. When
shall I send the trolley for you?"

"I'll go by train," said Vanderlyn shortly. "Madame de Lera's villa is
at Marly-le-Roi, isn't it?"

"Yes, haven't you ever been there?"

Vanderlyn looked at Pargeter. "No," he said very deliberately, "I
scarcely know Madame de Lera."

"How odd," said Pargeter indifferently. "Peggy's always with her, and
you and Peggy are such pals."

"One doesn't always care for one's friends' friends," said Vanderlyn
dryly. He longed to shake the other off, but Pargeter clung closely to
his side. Each put on the hat and light coat handed to him; and, when
once out on the boulevard, Pargeter slipped his hand confidingly through
the other's arm.

His touch burnt Vanderlyn.

"By the way, Grid, I've forgotten to tell you why I wanted to see you
to-night. I'd be so much obliged if you would go down to Chantilly at
the end of the week and see how that new josser's getting on. You might
drop me a line if everything doesn't seem all right."

Vanderlyn murmured a word of assent. This, then, was the reason why
Pargeter had come to L'Union that night,--simply in order to ask
Vanderlyn to keep an eye on his new trainer! To save himself, too, the
trouble of writing a letter, for Tom Pargeter was one of those mod