rtively at
the door of Lady Hilda's room with an air almost of a guilty schoolboy.
He breakfasted alone and spent the morning in the billiard room until
Lady Hilda appeared.

"I am a terrible hostess, am I not?" she said apologetically, as she
opened the door; "but what is there to be done? The weather is too
hopeless, isn't it?"

"Appalling!" John agreed. "Still, it's very comfortable in here, and I
have just made a seventy-one break."

"We'll have a two hundred and fifty up--that ought to last until
lunch-time," she suggested, throwing herself into a chair. "Give me ten
minutes, will you? This weather is so depressing. Even the effort of
getting up seems to have tired me."

She threw herself into an easy chair, and John tried to concentrate his
attention upon the balls. More than once, however, he glanced across at
his hostess. She was looking older this morning, paler, her face a
little drawn, her eyes large and soft. She sat looking into the fire; on
her knee were some letters, at which she scarcely glanced. Presently she
threw them aside and rang the bell.

"Bring me a brandy-and-soda and the cigarettes," she told the butler.
"Now, Mr. Strangewey, I am ready," she went on, turning to John. "Give
me fifty in two hundred and fifty, if you dare!"

"We'll try," he agreed.

They played until lunch-time, both affecting a rapt interest in the
game. At the sound of the gong Lady Hilda laid down her cue.

"We'll finish later," she suggested.

John strolled to the window. There were some signs of clearing in the
sky, although the whole place seemed still to reek of moisture.

"I am afraid I shall have to start soon after lunch," he said. "It will
take some time to get up to town. I am not a very experienced driver,
and my car is a little inclined to skid on wet roads."

She made no remark, and to both of them the presence of servants during
the meal appeared to be somewhat of a relief. The coffee and liqueurs,
however, again were served in the billiard room, and there was a very
awkward silence. For some time Lady Hilda had baffled his efforts at
ordinary conversation, and his last few remarks about the weather she
had ignored altogether.

"So you are going up this evening?" she said at last.

"This afternoon, if you don't mind," he replied, glancing at the clock,
and thinking of the bliss with which he would turn his car out into the
road. "I explained, didn't I, that I had an engagement this evening?"

"Q