“But your clients?” she asked, curiously. “How will you come into contact with them?” He smiled. “I am not afraid of business being slack,” he said. “The world is full of fools.” “You cannot live outside the law, Peter,” she objected. “You are clever, I know, but they are not all fools at Scotland Yard.” “You forget,” he reminded her, “that there will be a perfectly legitimate side to my profession. The other sort of case I shall only accept if I can see my way clear to make a success of it. Needless to say, I shall have to refuse the majority that are offered to me.” She came a little nearer to him. “In any case,” she said, with a little sigh, “you have given up that foolish, bourgeois life of yours?” He looked down into her face, and his eyes were cold. “Violet,” he said, “this is no time for misunderstandings. I should like you to know that apart from one young lady, who possesses my whole affection--” “All of it?” she pleaded. “All!” he declared emphatically. “She will doubtless be faithless to me--under the circumstances, I cannot blame her--but so far as I am concerned, I have no affection whatever for any one else.” She crept back to her place. “I could be so useful to you,” she murmured. “You could and you shall, if you will be sensible,” he answered. “Tell me how?” she begged. He was silent for a moment. “Are you acting now?” he asked. “I am understudying Molly,” she answered, “and I have a very small part at the Globe.” He nodded. “There is no reason to interfere with that,” he said, “in fact, I wish you to continue your connection with the profession. It brings you into touch with the class of people among whom I am likely to find clients.” “Go on, please,” she begged. “On two conditions--or rather one,” he said, “you can, if you like, become my secretary and partner--and find the money we shall require to make a start.” “Conditions?” she asked. “You must understand, once and for all,” he said, “that I will not be made love to, and that I can treat you only as a working; companion. My name will be Peter Ruff, and yours Miss Brown. You will have to dress like a secretary, and behave like one. Sometimes there will be plenty of work for you, and sometimes there will be none at all. Sometimes you will be bored to death, and sometimes there will be excitement. I do not wish to make you vain, but I may add, especially as you are aware of my personal feelings toward you, that you are the only person in the world to whom I would make this offer.” She sighed gently. “Tell me, Peter,” she asked, “when do you mean to start this new enterprise?” “Not for six months--perhaps a year,” he answered. “I must go to Paris--perhaps Vienna. I might even have to go to New York. There are certain associations with which I must come into touch--certain information I must become possessed of.”