General Crandall, just rid of the dubious pleasure of Billy Capper's company, was pacing the floor of the library office thoughtfully. He looked up with a smile at his wife's entrance. "Helen, I want you to do something for me," he said. "Certainly, dear." Lady Crandall was not an unpleasing picture of ripe beauty to look on, in the soft drape of her Japanese robe. Even in his worry, General Crandall found himself intrigued for the minute. "There's a new chap in the signal service--just in from Egypt--name's Woodhouse. I wish you would invite him to tea, my dear." "Of course; any day." "This afternoon, if you please, Helen," the general followed. His wife looked slightly puzzled. "This afternoon? But, George, dear, isn't that--aren't you--ah--rushing this young man to have him up to Government House so soon after his arrival?" She suddenly remembered something that caused her to reverse herself. "Besides, I've asked him to dinner--the dinner I'm to give the Americans to-morrow night before they sail." General Crandall looked his surprise. "You didn't tell me that. I didn't know you had met him." "Just happened to," Lady Crandall cut in hastily. "Met him at the Hotel Splendide last night when I brought Miss Gerson home with me." "What was Woodhouse doing at the Splendide?" the general asked suspiciously. "Why, spending the night, you foolish boy. Just off the _Princess Mary_, he was. I believe he did Miss Gerson some sort of a service--and I met him in that way--quite informally." "Did Miss Gerson--a service--hum!" "Oh, a trifling thing! It seemed she had only French money, and that cautious Almer fellow wouldn't accept it. Captain Woodhouse gave her English gold for it--to pay her bill. But why----" "Has Miss Gerson seen him since?" General Crandall asked sharply. "Why, George, dear, how could she? We haven't been up from the breakfast table an hour." "Woodhouse was here less than an hour ago to pay his duty call and report," he explained. "I thought perhaps he might have met our guest somewhere in the garden as he was coming or going." "He did send her some lovely roses." Lady Crandall brightened at this, to her, patent inception of a romance; she doted on romances. "They were in Miss Gerson's room before she was down to breakfast." "Roses, eh? And they met informally at the Splendide only last night." Suspicion was weighing the general's words. "Isn't that a bit sudden? I say, do you think Miss Gerson and this Captain Woodhouse had met somewhere before last night?" "I hardly think so--she on her first trip to the Continent and he coming from Egypt. But----" "No matter. I want him here to tea this afternoon." The general dismissed the subject and turned to his desk. His lady's curiosity would not be so lightly turned away. "All these questions--aren't they rather absurd? Is anything wrong?" She ran up to him and laid her hands on his shoulders.