“You probably care a little about corrupting me. Now look here, Ted, please stop talking such nonsense. You can’t shock me and it’s pretty hard to insult me--I am a little ashamed of not being more insulted--but you probably could make me very angry by persisting in trying to involve me in petty vice. In the first place I don’t like it. In the second place, if I ever went in for vice, it would be on a larger scale than you could dream of. I haven’t the slightest intention of--being French! You’d better go along and make love to Bob Brownley. She’ll bring some excitement into your life, I think. The reason I’m not more angry with you is that you were, indirectly, the cause of the greatest bit of luck that ever happened to me.” “What?” “I wouldn’t dream of telling you. But I’m awfully obliged for the tea--truly. It set me up. Shall we go?” He was not so easy to repulse. He got up and pulled his chair around to her side of the table. “Freda,” he tried to take her hand, “if I gave up Bob would you let me see you?” “I wouldn’t if you gave up the world.” She rose a little impatiently, feeling that this was going too far, and started for the door of the dining-room. “At least you’ll tell me where you live?” he pressed her. “Let me go home with you now.” “Don’t you have to work in the middle of the afternoon?” “Nobody’s working much. It’s too hot.” “Then go play with Barbara. I’ve other things to do.” Possibly it was the heat and the sense of effort which got nowhere that made Ted’s face intense and angry. He saw her about to slip away again. “You can’t go like this, Freda, I’ve only just found you.” “You’d better let me,” answered Freda, “because I see Maud Dubonnet looking at you and she knows you and obviously isn’t intending to speak to me though I lunched at her house, so you see it will be hot with you when Barbara hears this.” Against his will Ted looked up and saw Maud truly, with two other girls and three young men coming into the room. They had to pass Ted and Freda as they stood there, discussing. Maud Dubonnet was the only one of the group whom Freda knew. The others all evidently knew Ted and glanced at him with some interest. Maud did not look at Freda. She held her head stiffly as she passed, then said something to the others which made them turn with an attempt at casualness to look at the man and girl. Ted delayed no longer. He followed Freda out. “You see it doesn’t pay to do things Barbara won’t like. This will get back to her before to-morrow and she won’t be pleasant.” Ted’s mouth set in an rather ugly line. “I’ll manage Bob all right.” He looked at Freda. Her face under the plain white hat she wore was mocking, insubordinate, fascinating. “But I want to see you again. To-night?” “Nonsense. Good-by, Ted. Be good and make your peace with Bob.”