"Yes, I do care for Walter," she said suddenly; "I care so much that I honestly and truly believe it would kill me if anything came between us. I have had lots of things in my life--pleasure, excitement, admiration--but I have never had happiness until now. And I won't lose it!--I can't lose it!" The words poured forth in vehement sincerity; then, as she saw the expression on Nance's face, she gave a little laugh and put out her hand across the table. "Dearest! I frightened you! Of course everything comes right, if one has a little patience. Let's begin breakfast properly! My head aches." With another laugh, she pressed Nance's fingers, gathered up her scattered correspondence, and poured herself out another cup of tea. Nance spent a long morning with her future mother-in-law, lunching with her afterwards at her hotel. Clodagh, left to herself, ordered her horse for eleven o'clock; and after two hours of recklessly swift riding in the Row, lunched alone at her club. After lunch she wrote two telegrams--one addressed to Deerehurst's London house, the other to the club he most frequented; these she handed in herself at a telegraph office, and having despatched them, drove straight home. At four o'clock Nance returned to the flat, to be met by the announcement that her sister had a bad headache and had gone to her own room. Full of concern, she flew along the corridor and knocked on Clodagh's door. In a very low voice Clodagh gave her leave to enter. She opened the door swiftly; then paused, alarmed. The blinds were drawn, and by the subdued light she saw Clodagh lying on a couch near one of the windows. "Why, Clo! What's the matter?" She ran forward and dropped on her knees by the couch. Clodagh extended two rather cold hands, and took possession of Nance's warm ones. "Nothing but a wretched headache! It will go, if I lie down all the afternoon and keep quiet to-night." Nance looked up. "But how can you--at the play?" "I'm not going to the play." "Not going?" Clodagh drew her sister closer. "Now, darling, don't make a fuss! If you say one word of objection, my head will get ten times worse than it is. You are just to listen, and do as I tell you. You are to telephone to Mrs. Estcoit and explain what has happened. She will do the chaperoning instead of me." "But Walter----" "Walter is to go with you. You are to be as nice to him as you possibly can be. Everything is to be exactly as we arranged--_exactly_ as we arranged." She raised herself on her elbow to enforce the words. "And what about Lord Deerehurst?" Clodagh did not answer immediately; then, sinking back among her pillows, she spoke in a somewhat hurried voice. "That will be all right; I--I took your advice and sent him two messages, one to Carlton House Terrace and one to his club. He won't be at the theatre." "But if he doesn't get the message? If he comes all the same?"