"Ah-h. There's something in that. Of course, I could threaten her with a lawyer's letter. But somehow--The fact is, Barbara, if you're a decent man you're handicapped in dealing with a lady. Delicacy. There are things that could be said. Material things--most material to the case. But I can't say them." "No. You can't say them. But I can. I think I could stop the whole thing in five minutes, if I saw Mrs. Levitt. Will you leave it to me?" "Come--I don't know--" "Why not? I assure you it'll be all right." "Well. Perhaps. It's a matter of business. A pure matter of business." "It certainly is that. There's no reason why you shouldn't hand it over to your secretary." He hesitated. He was still afraid of what Elise might say to Barbara. "You will understand that she is in a very unbalanced state. Excitable. A woman in that state is apt to put interpretations on the most innocent--er--acts." "She won't be able to put on any after I've done with her. If it comes to that, I can put on interpretations too." Mr. Waddington then, at Barbara's dictation, wrote a short note to Mrs. Levitt inviting her to call and see him that afternoon at three o'clock. 2 At three o'clock Barbara was ready for her. She had assumed for the occasion her War Office manner, that firm sweetness with which she used to stand between importunate interviewers and her chief. It had made her the joy of her department. "Mr. Waddington is extremely sorry he is not able to see you himself. He is engaged with his agent at the moment." Mr. Waddington had, indeed, created that engagement. "Engaged? But I have an appointment." "Yes. He's very sorry. He said if there was anything I could do for you--" "Thank you, Miss Madden. If it's all the same to you, I'd much rather see Mr. Waddington himself. I can wait." "I wouldn't advise you to. I'm afraid he may be a long time. He has some very important business on hand just now." "_My_ business," said Mrs. Levitt, "is very important." "Oh, if it's only business," Barbara said, "I think we can settle it at once. I've had most of the correspondence in my hands and I think I know all the circumstances." "You have had the correspondence in your hands?" "Well, you see, I'm Mr. Waddington's secretary. That's what I'm here for." "I didn't know he trusted his private business to his secretary." "He's obliged to. He has so much of it. You surely don't expect him to copy out his own letters?" "I don't expect him to hand over my letters to other people to read." "I haven't read your letters, Mrs. Levitt. I've merely taken down his answers to copy out and file for reference." "Then, my dear Miss Madden, you don't know all the circumstances." "At any rate, I can tell you what Mr. Waddington intends to do and what he doesn't. You want to see him, I suppose, about the loan for the investment?" Mrs. Levitt was too profoundly disconcerted to reply.