'Tear it from her if you like; knock her down and steal it; I don't care. Only don't make love to her under the pretence of doing me a service. Guy, if you're even civil to her--' She left the sentence unfinished; the air with which she spoke was eloquent enough. 'My dear Letty, as if I should! Then do you suggest that I should go and see her?' 'Of course. To-night.' 'To-night?' 'At once. And get the ruby from her somehow; I don't care how, but get it. And meet me here in the morning with it in your hand.' 'But, dearest, Miss Bewicke goes to the theatre.' 'I don't care where she goes.' 'Exactly, but I can hardly interview her in the theatre; and, in any case, she would scarcely have the ruby with her there.' 'Then see her after.' 'After the theatre?' 'Oh, Guy, don't keep asking me questions! If you only knew how I hate the notion of your seeing her at all, especially to solicit a favour at her hands. But since I suppose you must, you must get it over. Only I know what took place between you before; papa knows and everybody knows--heaps of people have told me.' A curious something came into her voice, a sort of choking sound. It frightened Mr Holland. 'Guy, you must see her to-night--to-night--and never again. Get the ruby from her if you have to fight her for it, and meet me here to-morrow morning with it in your hand.' Without a word of warning she scurried from him down the path. He called after her. 'Letty!' 'Don't try to stop me. I don't want to speak to you when you're going to see that woman.' There was that in her voice which caused him to deem it advisable to take her at her word. He let her go. He remained behind to objurgate fickle fortune and other things. He told himself, not for the first time,-- 'It really was not worth while to see ghosts in Africa for this. If spectral visitations all tend this way I bar them. The next ghost I see I'll decline to notice it. It shall lead somebody else into a mess, not me.' He began to stroll towards the gate, kicking every now and then at the pebbles on the path. 'Never thought Letty was such a little spitfire. Bless her heart! I love her for it all the more. Who can have told her about the mess I made of things with May? I'll swear I didn't. These things will out.' He groaned. 'It's past seven. I'll go and get something to eat. Then if food screws my courage to the sticking point I'll go and interview Miss Bewicke a little later. But as for taking that ruby from her _vi et armis_--oh, lord! If ever there was a forlorn hope, I'm down for one to-night.'