"Don't distress yourself," said Sir Douglas quietly; "you did play, you know. Ask the churchwarden." "I owe you five francs," said Evelyn, "or ten. Which is it?" "_Don't!_" said Lucy. "It is no laughing matter for me, I can assure you. Many is the trick I have played on that man. Heigh-ho! He has his revenge." "Don't be down-hearted. You had at least the satisfaction of winning." But Lucy was in no humour for being teased, and, to change the subject, she began to tell the story of the different tragedies she had witnessed. "It is all nonsense, you know," said Sir Douglas good-humouredly. "That is the sort of stuff they put in the good books. People who are really being bitten don't attract attention to themselves by overdone by-play." Lucy did not reply, but she retained her own opinion. Overdone by-play, indeed! As if she had eyes for nothing more subtle than overdone by-play! "In the meantime we will have our coffee," said Sir Douglas, "and then I will leave you at the concert, while I look up Monteith. I will come and fetch you at the end of the first part. Here, Maud, this table is disengaged." The head-waiter came up immediately. Sir Douglas was one of those people who rarely have occasion to call a waiter. He gave the order, lighted a cigar very deliberately, and then turned abruptly to Lucy. "Where is Mona?" he asked quietly. Lucy almost gasped for breath. "She was in London when I saw her last," she said, trying to gain time. "At her old rooms?" "No-o," faltered Lucy. "She was sharing my rooms then." Then she gathered herself together. This would never do. Anything would be better than to suggest that there was a mystery in the matter. "You see," she said, "I have been away ever since the beginning of term, and I have not heard from Mona for some time. I know she has taken all the classes she requires for her next examination, and reading can be done in one place as well as in another." "Then why the--why could not she come to us and do it?" Lucy laughed. She began to hope that the storm was passing over. "I suppose Mona would reply," she said, "that Cannes, like Cambridge, is an excellent place to play in." "Then you don't know her address?" "I don't know it positively. I think it is quite likely that she is with that cousin of hers in the north. She said once that she could do far more work in that bracing air." "So she has gone there to prepare for this examination?" "I believe she is working very hard." "And when does the examination take place?" "I have not heard her say when she means to go up. You see, Sir Douglas, my plans are Mona's, but Mona's plans are her own. She is not one to rush through her course anyhow for the sake of getting on the register, like--me for instance." "I can believe that. It seems Mona told her aunt that she was leaving her old rooms, and that it would be well to address letters for the present to the care of her man of business. Is that what you do?"