She rose from the divan, and crossed over towards the window. Standing in the full flood of golden August sunlight, she held out her hand for Maudie's continued inspection. For a time she too revelled in the rainbow-hued scintillations of the diamonds, but after a few moments her glance strayed casually down the street. Immediately she broke in upon the girl's rapturous comments with a strangled little cry of mingled dismay and surprise. "What is it?" demanded Geoff, rising quickly to his feet. Maudie gazed wonderingly out of the window. Suddenly she too uttered an exclamation, then drew sharply back behind the curtains as she announced in excited tones-- "Why, there's Lord Winborough coming down the road. He's making straight for here. I know he's coming up. Oh, my word, now what shall I do?" Jack was on the alert in a moment. "Lord Winborough coming here?" "Yes, yes. Whatever am I to do?" "Why should you do anything? Does it matter?" queried Jack, considerably puzzled. "Matter!" retorted the girl somewhat tartly. "Of course it does. He knows my father quite well, and he would be sure to tell him he had met me here. Oh, I shall get into dad's black books, and so will auntie. What can I do?" "Ask him not to say anything about it," suggested Jack promptly. Maudie waxed impatient. "One can't do that sort of thing. It would only make it seem worse. Can't I hide somewhere? Frankie, I do think you might have told me he was coming." "But he wasn't expected till this afternoon. You can't blame me," declared Pallister in expostulation. In the midst of this fluster Evarne stood for a minute as if stunned. Here was an entirely unforeseen _contretemps_ to be dealt with. Quite heedless of Maudie's infinitesimal troubles, she bent all her thoughts on safeguarding her own situation. What would be the result of this visit? Morris would most assuredly hold himself released from his promise of forty-eight hours' silence if he learnt from Geoff that the forbidden marriage was to be actually celebrated within that time. Did Geoff intend taking his cousin into his confidence? She must know that. Concealing every sign of undue anxiety she whispered-- "Are we going to tell him about to-morrow?" She breathed a sigh of relief at the answer. "Not unless it becomes inevitable." "Isn't there another way out, Mr. Danvers?" cried the distracted Maudie. Geoff came to the rescue. "Why not take Miss Meridith out by the back entrance, Pallister? You know--out into Langthorne Place." "He mustn't come with me," declared the girl emphatically. "I mustn't have any of you with me. Somebody would be certain to see us. People one knows always are about when one doesn't want them to be." "But you can go this way by yourself if you like," said Geoff; and getting the necessary key, he hastened down the little passage between the plaster-room and the model's dressing-room, and unlocked and unbolted the door at the end. Then returning he explained--