"I am going to ask you to do me a favour, dear. A friend is having a Sale of Work at her house for a charity in which we are both interested, and she has asked me to help. It is on a Saturday afternoon and evening, and I wondered if I might ask you to take part in the little concerts. Whistling is always popular, and you do it so charmingly. I would send the car for you, and take you home, of course, and be so very much indebted. You don't mind my asking?" "No, indeed; I should be delighted. Please let me help you whenever you can." In the bedroom upstairs Janet deliberately introduced Malcolm Heward's name. "That was the man I told you about at Christmas. He was one of the party at Saint Moritz. What did you think of him?" "I liked him immensely. He looks all that you said he was. He has a fine face." "He wants to marry me." Claire laughed softly. "That's obvious! I never saw a man give himself away so openly." "Do you think I ought to accept him?" "Oh, how can I say? It's not for me to advise. I hope, whoever you marry, you'll be very, very happy!" Suddenly Janet came forward and laid her hands on Claire's arm. "Oh, Claire, I do like you! I do want to be friends, but sometimes I have the strangest thoughts." Before Claire had time to answer, she had drawn back again, and was saying with a little apologetic laugh, "I am silly! Take no notice of what I say. Here's your fur; here's your muff. Are you quite sure you have all your possessions?" CHAPTER FOURTEEN. A QUESTION OF MONEY. The next week was memorable to Claire as marking the beginning of serious anxiety with regard to Sophie. She had looked ill since the beginning of the term, and the bottle of aspirin tabloids had become quite an accustomed feature on the luncheon table; but when questioned she had always a smile and an easy excuse. "What can you expect in this weather? No one but a fish could help aching in these floods. I'm perfectly all right!" But one morning this week, meeting her on an upper landing, Claire discovered Sophie apparently dragging herself along with her hands, and punctuating each step with a gasp of pain. She stood still and stared, whereupon Sophie instantly straightened herself, and ascended the remaining steps in a normal manner. "Sophie," cried Claire sternly, "don't pretend! I heard you; I saw you! My dear girl, is the rheumatism so bad?" Sophie twisted her head this way and that, her lips pursed in warning. "S-sh! Be careful! You never know who is about. I _am_ rather stiff to-day. This raw fog has been the last straw. I shall be all right when we get through this month. I hate March! It finds out all the weak spots. Please, Claire, don't take any notice. A Gym. mistress has no business to have rheumatism. It's really very good for me to be obliged to keep going. It is always worse at the beginning of the day."