“I’m really religious, Teddy. Won’t you trust me? Don’t you think that there must be some good in me when I can sing like that?” It was like a little child pleading with him. “I’ve tried to turn you back. Desire’s too young and I don’t think---- But you won’t be turned back; so let me help you. I don’t know much of what’s happened between you, but----” In the hall a key grated. The sound of the door opening. A gust of laughter--a man’s and a girl’s. “Shish! It’s tee-rrifically late.--My goodness, Tom, but you were reckless! I thought every moment we’d upset.” “Some driving, wasn’t it? You oughtn’t to complain. You liked it.” “Liked it! I should say so. But Twinkles didn’t like it Poor Twinkles was mos’ awf’lly scared. Wasn’t ’oo, Twinkles?--Wonder if mother’s in bed.” “Coming. I have a visitor.” After Vashti had left him, their voices sank to a whisper. So she’d been out with another man! While he had been waiting, almost counting the seconds, she’d been out with another man! They’d been driving through the darkness together. Perhaps they’d been making love. No wonder she hadn’t answered his letters or cables. “Come to America if you really care.” She had said it lightly and forgotten. It had meant nothing to her. And here he’d been finding delicate excuses to explain what was no more than indifference. A Pekinese lap-dog waddled in; catching sight of him, it sniffed contemptuously. It was followed by a boy who had the perky air of an impudent fox-terrier. He stared at Teddy with an amused gleam of challenge. “Here, all this evening! Oh, what a shame and me out!” It was Desire’s piping voice. “Get out of the way, Tom, you’re blocking up everything.” He saw her--her piquant face alight with welcome. She tripped across the room, extending both her hands. Her eyes begged him to keep their secret “It is good of you to visit us so promptly,” she said. “Fancy your remembering! I didn’t think we’d see you till to-morrow at earliest.” She waited for him to help her. Then: “Mother says you’re over on business. Are you going to be here long?” His sense of injury died down. He saw only the small penitent face, with its gray eyes and quivering childish mouth. “That depends.” “Well, we’ll see heaps of you, won’t we?” He couldn’t endure this pretending. He pushed aside her question. “What are you doing to-morrow?” he asked abruptly. “To-morrow! To-morrow!” She gazed vaguely round. Her mother came to her rescue. “My baby-girl never knows what she’s doing tomorrow. She never plans ahead. Better call her up, Teddy.” “Not too early,” Desire smiled poutingly. “I’m awfully tired. And Twinkles is tired. Isn’t ’oo, Twinkles darling?” She stooped down and touched the dog’s nose with the tip of her finger. “We shan’t get up till----” “Call up at eleven,” said Vashti. “Before you go, I may as well introduce you two men. If I don’t, you’ll glower at each other all the way down in the elevator.”