ngs, if you'll
give me time," said he, wiping his lips with a vast red and white
handkerchief about the size of a ship's Union Jack.

But we did not give him time; we plied him with questions and for the
next hour he entertained us pleasantly with stories of his wanderings.
He had a Rabelaisian way of laughing over must of his experiences, even
those which had a touch of the gruesome, and the laughter got into his
speech, so that many amusing episodes were told in the roars of a
hilarious lion.

Presently the familiar sound of the horn announced the return of
Barbara. We sprang to our feet and descended to meet the car at the
front porch. Jaffery, grinning with delight, opened the door, appeared
to lift a radiant Barbara out of the car like a parcel and almost hugged
her. And there they stood holding on to each other's hands and smiling
into each other's faces and saying how well they looked, regardless of
the fact that they were blocking the way for Doria, who remained in the
car, I had to move them on with the reminder that they had the whole
week-end for their effusions. Adrian helped Doria to alight, and to
Doria then, for the first time, was presented Jaffery Chayne. Jaffery
blinked at her oddly as he held her little gloved fingers in his
enormous hand. And, indeed, I could excuse him; for she was a very
striking object to come suddenly into the immediate range of a man's
vision, with her chiffon and her slenderness, and her black hat beneath
which her great eyes shone from the startling, nervous, ivory-white
face.

She smiled on him graciously. "I'm so glad to meet you." Then after a
fraction of a second came the explanation. "I've heard so much of you."

He murmured something into his beard. Meeting his childlike gaze of
admiration, she turned away and put her arm round Barbara's waist. The
ladies went indoors to take off their things, accompanied by Adrian, who
wanted a lover's word with Doria on the way. Jaffery followed her with
his eyes until she had disappeared at the corner of the hall-stairs.
Then he took me by the arm and led me up towards the terrace.

"Who is that singularly beautiful girl?" he asked.

"Doria Jornicroft," said I.

"She's the most astonishing thing I've ever seen in my life."

"I wouldn't find her too astonishing, if I were you," said I with a
laugh, "because there might be complications. She's engaged to Adrian."

He dropped my arm. "Do you mean--she's going to marry him?"