look worried, with that sort of helpless
pathetic air with which very small women compel very big men to go to
an infinity of trouble over things which bore them to extinction.

"My dear man," she cried as he came up to her. "Mr. Ramage hasn't come
yet. . . . And he's always so punctual. . . ."

"Then let us have a cocktail, Nancy, to keep the cold out till he
does." He hailed a passing waiter. "Tell me, what sort of a fellow is
he? I'm rather curious about him."

"My dear," she answered, "he's the most fascinating man in the world."
She clasped her hands together and gazed at Vane impressively. "So
wonderfully clever . . . so quiet . . . so . . . so . . . gentlemanly.
I am so glad you could come. You would never think for a moment when
you saw him that he sympathised with all these dreadful Bolsheviks and
Soviets and things; and that he disapproved of money and property and
everything that makes life worth living. . . . Sometimes he simply
terrifies me, Derek." She sipped her cocktail plaintively. "But I
feel it's my duty to make a fuss of him and feed him and that sort of
thing, for all our sakes. It may make him postpone the
Revolution. . . ."

Vane suppressed a smile, and lit a cigarette gravely. "They'll
probably give you a vote of thanks in Parliament, Nancy, to say nothing
of an O.B.E. . . . Incidentally does the fellow eat all right?"

With a gesture of horrified protest, Nancy Smallwood sat back in her
chair. "My dear Derek," she murmured. . . . "Far, far better than you
and I do. I always mash my bread sauce up with the vegetables if no
one's looking, and I'm certain he never would. He's most
respectable. . . ."

"My God!" said Vane, "as bad as that! I was hoping he'd eat peas with
his knife."

She looked towards the door and suddenly stood up. "Here he is, coming
down the stairs now. . . ." She held out her hand to him as he came
up. "I was afraid you weren't going to come, Mr. Ramage."

"Am I late?" he answered, glancing at his watch. "A thousand
apologies, Mrs. Smallwood. . . . A committee meeting. . . ."

He turned towards Vane and she introduced the two men, who followed her
into the restaurant. And in his first quick glance Vane was conscious
of a certain disappointment, and a distinct feeling of surprise.

Far from being clad in corduroy, Ramage had on a very respectable
morning coat. In fact, it struck him that Nancy Smallwood's remark
exactly described him. He lo