l their support
to rise and get out on the pavement.

"Take my arm. Poor little thing, you're tired to death," said Lady
Elizabeth, with what the girl called a coo in her voice.

"You don't even know my name----" began Amaryllis.

"I know something better--you're Dick Bellamy's friend. That is a
passport and an introduction, my dear."

Charles followed them up the steps. On the third his mistress stopped
and turned. Charles halted on the second step.

"There's a man in the taxi?" said Lady Elizabeth interrogatively.

"Yes," replied the girl. "We're keeping him. He's drunk."

"Charles," said Lady Elizabeth, "assist the driver in keeping the person
inside from getting out."

"Yes, my lady," said Charles; and, feeling that haply he was mixing in
great matters, he went back to the cab and stood sentry very loftily
over its further exit.

When they were inside, Lady Elizabeth shut the big door.

"George!" she said; and Bruffin took his eyes from Dick, to see his wife
leading towards them a pale-faced, tear-smudged girl, with a battered
sun-bonnet flung back on her shoulders and a great halo of untidy red
hair topping a graceful, weary figure habited in clothes which, in their
present state, would have disgraced the woman they had come from.

George took a step forward, and Dick half rose in courtesy.

"This is Miss ----" said Lady Elizabeth, and stuck.

"Oh, Liz!" cried Dick. "Beginning an introduction, when you haven't been
introduced yourself! Lady Elizabeth Bruffin, you have on your arm Miss
Caldegard, daughter of the eminent Professor Caldegard. George, you
behold the same. Miss Caldegard, Lady Elizabeth Bruffin, and her
husband, Mr. George Bruffin. He is famous for immeasurable wealth which
he can't use and a few brains which he uses in all sorts of queer ways,
and hasn't yet spent."

He limped towards the two women.

"Liz, dear," he went on, "please put her to bed. She's had the deuce and
all of a day. She'll tell you, only don't let her talk too much."

Lady Elizabeth nodded.

"Would you like to go to bed now, dear?" she asked.

A smile, radiant on the tired face, illuminated Amaryllis.

"Oh, please, yes. I can see it--all white!" she answered.

And without a word from any of the four, the women left the men standing
in the hall.

It was empty when Lady Elizabeth returned. She found George in his
study.

Her eyes shone with a kind of maternal satisfaction, but she looked at
her husband with