'As long as you like. Nobody will come here.' The contrast between the gay, confident, high-couraged Trix Trevalla she had known and this broken creature seemed terrible to Peggy. 'I came here because----' A sort of puzzle fell upon her again. 'Of course you did. We're friends,' said Peggy, and now she kissed her. All that Trix was saying might be dark and strange, but her coming was natural enough in Peggy's eyes. 'Yes, that's why I came,' cried Trix, eagerly snatching at the word. 'Because we're friends! You're friends, you and all of you. You're not trying to get anything, you'd give anything--you, and Mr. Trent, and Airey Newton.' Airey's name gave Peggy a little pang. She said nothing, but her smile was sad. 'And at Barslett I thought of you all--most of you yourself. Somehow you seemed to me the only pleasant thing there was in the world; and I was so far--so far away from you.' She lowered her voice suddenly to a cautious whisper. 'I must tell you something, but promise me to repeat it to nobody. Promise me!' 'Of course I promise,' said Peggy readily. 'I think I'm ruined,' whispered Trix. 'I think Fricker has ruined me. That's what I didn't dare tell Mortimer. I had a letter from Fricker, but I've lost it, I think, or left it somewhere. Or did I tear it up? As far as I could understand it, it looked as if he'd ruined me. When I've paid all I have to pay I think I shall have hardly any money at all, Peggy. You promise not to tell?' Peggy was more in her element now; her smile grew much brighter. 'Yes, I promise, and you needn't bother about that. It doesn't matter a bit. And, besides, I've got lots of money. Airey's got a heap of money of mine.' 'Airey Newton?' She stood silent a moment, frowning, as though she were thinking of him or of what his name brought into her mind. But in the end she only said again, 'Yes, I think I must be ruined too.' It was evident that Peggy could comfort her on that score hardly more than with regard to the troubles that were strange and mysterious. Indeed Peggy was almost at her limit of endurance. 'If you're miserable any longer, and don't go quietly to bed, I think I shall begin to cry and never stop,' she declared in serious warning. 'Have I said a great deal?' asked Trix wearily. 'I'm sorry; I had to say it to someone. It was burning me up inside, you know.' 'You will come to bed?' Peggy entreated. 'Yes, I'll come to bed. I've got nothing, you know. I must have left everything there.' This problem again was familiar; Peggy assured her that there would be no trouble. A rather hysterical smile came on Trix's lips. 'They'll find all my things in the morning,' she said. 'And Lord Barmouth will tell them how I knocked him down! And Mrs. Bonfill! And Lady Barmouth!' 'It would be rather fun to be there,' suggested Peggy, readily advancing to the brink of mirth. 'And Mortimer!' Peggy looked at her curiously and risked the question:-- 'Did you care at all for him?'