"I should like you to see Flossie." "Flossie?" said the Honourable John Ruffin. "Ah--the WOMAN." He looked at Hilary Vance very earnestly. "Yes, I see--I see--of course her name would be Flossie." Then he added sternly: "No; if I saw her James might accuse me of having encouraged you. He would, in fact. He always does." "She's only at the florist's just at the end of the street," said Hilary Vance in a persuasive tone. "She would be," said the Honourable John Ruffin in a tone of extraordinary patience. "I don't know why it is that the WOMAN is so often at a florist's at the end of the street. It seems to be one of nature's strange whims." His face grew very gloomy again and in a very sad tone he added: "Good-bye, poor old chap; good-bye!" He shook hands firmly with his puzzled friend and started briskly up the street. Ten yards up it he paused, turned and called back: "She's everything that's womanly, isn't she?" "Yes--everything," cried Hilary Vance with fervour. The Honourable John Ruffin shook his head sadly and without another word walked briskly on. Hilary Vance, still looking puzzled, shut the door and went back to his studio. He failed, therefore, to perceive the Honourable John Ruffin enter the florist's shop at the end of the street. He did not come out of it for a quarter of an hour, and then he came out smiling. Seeing that he only brought with him a single rose, he had taken some time over its selection. CHAPTER II HILARY VANCE FINDS A CONFIDANTE That afternoon, when Pollyooly was helping him pack his portmanteau for his journey to Buda-Pesth, the Honourable John Ruffin told her of the arrangement he had made with Hilary Vance, that she and the Lump should spend the time till his return at the studio at Chelsea. Pollyooly's face brightened; and there was something of the joy which warriors feel in foemen worthy of their steel in the tone in which she said: "Thank you, sir. I shall like that. It will be a change for the Lump; and I've always wanted to know what that studio would look like if once it were properly cleaned. That Mrs. Thomas who works for Mr. Vance does let it get so dirty." "Yes; I told Mr. Vance that I was sure that you'd get the place really clean for him," said the Honourable John Ruffin with a chuckle. "Oh, yes; I will," said Pollyooly firmly. The Honourable John Ruffin chuckled again, and said: "Mr. Vance is going to have the spring cleaning of a lifetime." "Yes, sir. It's not quite summer-time yet," said Pollyooly. The next morning before taking the train to Buda-Pesth, he despatched her, the Lump, and the brown tin box which contained their clothes, to Chelsea in a taxicab. Hilary Vance welcomed them with the most cordial exuberance, led the way to his spare bedroom, and with an entire unconsciousness of that bedroom's amazing resemblance to a long-forgotten dust-bin, invited Pollyooly to unpack the box and make herself at home.