"A piece of bravado, I must admit," Mr. Parker muttered--"a piece of absolute bravado! But there's the young woman who's responsible!" he added, shaking his fist at Eve. "I may have suggested our coming to your party as the Bundercombes, but it was Eve's idea that we put up this little piece of bluff. Now I'm all for Paris!" he went on insinuatingly. At that precise moment I felt that there was nothing I wanted so much as to get Eve away from the Ritz, and I fell in with the scheme. "We'll all go," I suggested. "I haven't had a week in Paris for a long time." Eve handed me my tea. "Don't count me in!" she begged. "I never felt less inclined to move from anywhere. If being Eve Bundercombe means living at the Ritz I think I'd rather go on. The life of an adventuress is, after all, just a little strenuous and I am tired of living on the thin edge of nothing." "Perhaps, before you know where you are," Mr. Bundercombe remarked gloomily, "you'll be living on the thin edge of a little less than nothing!" There was a knock at the door. We all looked at one another. A magnificent person with powdered hair, breeches and silk stockings presented himself. "Lord Reginald Sidley!" he announced. In walked Reggie. He was correctly attired for calling and he carried a most immaculate silk hat in his hand. I fully expected to see him drop it on the floor, but he did nothing of the sort. He laid it upon a small table, paused for one second to shake his fist at me, and advanced toward Eve with both hands outstretched. "At last I have found you, then!" he exclaimed. "Miss Bundercombe! Well, I am glad to see you!" "Hello, Reggie!" she answered sweetly. "What a time you've been looking us up." He was taken aback. "Well, I like that!" he gasped. "And--how are you, Mr. Bundercombe?" "Glad to see you!" Mr. Bundercombe replied cheerlessly. The meeting had taken place and I seemed to be the only person in the room who was suffering from any sort of shock. Reggie was still holding one of Eve's hands and was almost incoherent. "Come, I like that! I like that!" he exclaimed. "A long time looking you up indeed! Why didn't you let me know you were here? There hasn't been a line from you or from your father. We couldn't believe it when we heard that you had been at the dinner the other evening. I was never so disappointed in my life!" I gripped Mr. Bundercombe by the arm and led him firmly to one side. "Look here," I said, "is your name Bundercombe?" "It is," he admitted gloomily. "Are you a millionaire?" I persisted. "Multi!" he groaned. "Then what the blazes--what the----" I stopped short. Once more the door was opened--this time without the formality of a knock. If Mr. Bundercombe had seemed anxious and depressed before it was obvious now that the worst had happened. All the cheerful life seemed to have faded from his good-humored face. He had literally collapsed in his clothes. Even Eve gave a little shriek.