Moreover, Lefty’s being in full dress did not savor altogether of a stag party. Worst of all, the young man remembered, with a sickening sense of irritation, how swiftly he and Miss Collier had come to be on almost chummy terms. An onlooker would never have supposed their acquaintance to be only a few hours old, and Janet had been sitting near enough to miss nothing. All this passed through Lefty’s mind with a rush. For an instant he had an almost uncontrollable impulse to push his way through to Miss Harting’s side and explain the innocent facts, which must have looked so condemning. Then he realized how impossible was the time and place for explanations, and, pulling himself together, moved slowly on toward the entrance. Miss Collier could scarcely have missed the little incident, swiftly as it had taken place; but apparently she was possessed of tact, along with a number of other good qualities, for she made not the slightest reference to it. During the ride uptown she chatted unconcernedly on various topics, but it must be confessed that she had to uphold the burden of conversation; about nine-tenths of Lefty’s mind was taken up with a consideration of his predicament, and with planning a way out of it. “Thank you a thousand times, Mr. Locke,” Miss Collier said, when the car had stopped and he had helped her out. “I’ve had a perfectly splendid evening.” “It’s been corking,” Lefty returned, trying to force a little enthusiasm into his voice. “I’m the one who should be thanking you.” “I don’t believe it,” smiled the girl, holding out her hand. “Have Pagdon drive you wherever you want to go. Dad won’t want him yet, I’m sure. Come and see me some time when you haven’t anything better to do. We’ll finish our talk about Marquard. Good night.” Without giving him time to answer she ran lightly up the steps to the already open door, which closed quickly upon her slim, graceful figure, leaving Locke to return slowly to the limousine, give the address of his hotel to the chauffeur, and step frowningly in. “What a thundering jackass I am!” he muttered, leaning back against the leather cushions. “Why in Heaven’s name didn’t I cut out the party and go see Janet in spite of everything? How the deuce did I know that Collier was going to rope me into a game like that, though――or that Janet would be there to misconstrue everything? I s’pose she went to get a glimpse of me. Well, the sooner I chase up there and explain things to her the better. I wonder if it’s too late to go to-night?” He glanced at his watch. It was decidedly too late. “I’ll hike up the first thing in the morning,” he thought. “She’ll understand that I couldn’t do anything else under the circumstances.” There was some comfort in the reflection that Janet had plenty of sound common sense in that shapely little head of hers. Nevertheless, the more he thought of it, the more Lefty realized what a scurvy trick fate had played him.