Mr. Sheldon knitted his brows. “I wish he had been a little more explicit on that point. We do not know whether this girl is alive or dead. When Hugh’s brother left Nice, she was hovering between life and death in the hospital to which they had taken her. If she has recovered, I should very much like to find the young woman, although it doesn’t appear that it would serve any very useful purpose if I did.” Lydon also expressed his wish that, if she had escaped her lover’s vengeance, Elise Makris, the decoy of blackmailers, should be found. Mr. Shelford promised to instruct his agent in Nice to make inquiries at once. The tragedy had cast a deep shadow over Lydon. Even the prospect of meeting again with Gloria Stormont could not restore him to his old cheerfulness, nor blot out the memory of those sinister happenings at the peaceful-looking Villa des Cyclamens. Gloria looked very charming and radiant when she arrived at Waterloo Station, where Leonard was awaiting her. “It was a little indiscreet of us to arrange meeting here,” she said with a blush as they shook hands. “Somebody who knew me might have travelled in the same train; that would have been awkward. It was silly of me to overlook that.” “And equally silly on my part,” replied the young man. “Well, on a future occasion, we must avoid a similar mistake. Well, now about lunch. I was going to suggest the _Berkeley_ or the _Savoy_. But perhaps we had better get off the beaten track?” Miss Stormont agreed. Several people she knew frequented both these popular places. They finally went to a excellent restaurant in the Strand. They had a very enjoyable time together. There was not a trace of coquetry about her, but she seemed to envisage the situation with perfect frankness. If Lydon had not been attracted by her, he would not have asked her to lunch. If she had not been equally attracted by him, she would not have accepted his invitation. They might therefore take for granted the fact of their mutual attraction, and not pretend an embarrassment they did not feel. When they parted, and he pressed for another meeting, she consented quite readily, adding, “I hope, however, we shall not have to keep up this _sub-rosa_ business very long. Uncle was speaking last night of you and saying how much he liked you. You can guess how difficult it was to keep myself from blushing. I suggested that as he liked you so much, why did he not ask you to pay a visit? He did not exactly adopt the suggestion at once, but I’m sure the idea is germinating in his mind and will presently blossom forth.” Lydon looked the delight he felt. “So you think I may receive a formal invitation to go down to Effington. That would be very pleasant. In the meantime our engagement for next week holds good.”