Lady Everard seemed delighted and brightened up. 'Oh, you don't sing or play?--you must come to one of my Musical Evenings. We have all the stars in the season at times--dear Melba and Caruso--and darling Bemberk and dear Debussy! Oh! don't laugh at my enthusiasm, my dear; but I'm quite music-mad--and then, of course, we have any amount of amateurs, and all the new young professionals that are coming on. In my opinion Paul La France, that's the young man I was telling you about, will be one of the very very best--quite at the top of the tree, and I'm determined he shall. But of course, he needs care and encouragement. I think of his giving a _Conférence_, in which he'll lecture on his own singing. I shall be on the platform to make a sort of introductory speech and Monti, of course, will accompany. He is the only accompanist that counts. But then I suppose he's been accompanying somebody or other ever since he was a little boy, so it's second nature to him. And you must come, and bring your husband. Does he go with you to places? Very nice of him. Nowadays if husbands and wives don't occasionally go to the same parties they have hardly any opportunity of meeting at all; that's what I always say. But then, of course, _you're_ still almost on your honeymoon, aren't you? Charming!' In the dining-room Cricker was confiding in Aylmer, while Vincy and Bruce discussed the Old Master. 'Awful, you know,' Cricker said, in a low voice--' this girl's mania for me! I get wires and telephones all day long; she hardly gives me time to shave. And she's jolly pretty, so I don't like to chuck it; in fact, I daren't. But her one cry is 'Cold; cold; cold!' She says I'm as cold as a stone. What do you thing of that?' 'You may be a stone, and a rolling one at that, said Aylmer, 'but there are other pebbles on the beach, I daresay.' 'I bet not one of them as stony as I am!' cried Cricker. Cricker came a little nearer, lowering his voice again. 'It's a very peculiar case,' he said proudly. 'Of course; it always is.' 'You see, she's frightfully pretty, on the stage, and married! One of the most awkward positions a person can be in. Mind you, I'm sorry for her. I thought of consulting you about something if you'll give me a minute or two, old chap.' He took out a letter-case. 'I don't mean Ill show you this--oh no, I can't show it--it isn't compromising.' 'Of course not. No-one really likes to show a really lukewarm love letter. Besides it would hardly be--' Cricker put the case back. My dear chap! I wasn't going to show it to you--I shouldn't dream of such a thing--to anybody; but I was just going to read you out a sentence from which you can form an opinion of my predicament. It's no good mincing matters, old boy, the woman is crazy mad about me--there you've got it straight--in a nutshell.--Crazy!' 'She certainly can't be very sane,' returned Aylmer.