"Well, Miss White, there were several things I wanted to talk to you about," said Pinto, taken aback by her calm. "Have you heard from your father?" "Don't you think," she said, "it would be better if you came at a more conventional hour? I don't feel inclined to gossip on the doorstep and I'm afraid I can't ask you in." "The colonel is worrying," Pinto hastened to explain. "You see, Solly's one of his best friends." The girl laughed softly. "I know," she said. "I heard the colonel talking to my father at Horsham," she added meaningly. "You've got to make allowances for the colonel," urged Pinto; "he lost his temper, but he's feeling all right now. Couldn't you persuade your father to communicate with us--with him?" She shook her head. "I am not in a position to communicate with my father," she replied quietly. "I am just as ignorant of his whereabouts as you are. If anybody is anxious it is surely myself, Mr. Silva." "And another point," Silva went on, so that there should be no gap in the conversation, "why did you give up your theatrical engagements, Maisie? I took a lot of trouble to get them for you, and it is stupid to jeopardise your career. I have plenty of influence, but managers will not stand that kind of treatment, and when you go back----" "I am not going back," she said. "Really, Mr. Silva, you must excuse me to-night. I am very tired after a hard day's work----" she checked herself. "What are you doing now, Maisie?" asked Silva curiously. "I have no wish to prolong this conversation," said the girl, "but there is one thing I should like to say, and that is that I would prefer you to call me Miss White." "All right, all right," said Silva genially, "and what were you doing at the flat to-night, Mai--Miss White?" "Good night," said the girl and closed the door in his face. He cursed angrily in the dark and raised his hand to rap on the panel of the door, but thought better of it and, turning, walked back to the interested Crewe, who stood in the shadow of a lamp-post watching the scene. "Well?" asked Crewe. "Confound the girl, she won't talk," grumbled Silva. "I'd give something to break that pride of hers, Crewe. By jove, I'll do it one of these days," he added between his teeth. Crewe laughed. "There's no sense in going off the deep end because a girl turns you down," he said. "What did she say about the flat? And what did she say about her visit to Albemarle Place?" "She said nothing," said the other shortly. "Come along, let's go back to the colonel." On the return journey he declined to be drawn into any kind of conversation, and Crewe, after one or two attempts to procure enlightenment as to the result of the interview, relapsed into silence. They found the colonel waiting for them, and to all appearances the colonel was undisturbed by the happenings of the evening. "Well?" he asked. "She admits she was here," said Pinto. "What was she doing?"