Guy shrugged his shoulders. "You can please yourself about it," he said, "but it's no good asking me to help you. As I've told you before, I decline to mix myself up with it in any way." "But you can't," persisted Tony; "at least not without being horribly rude. I have introduced you to Isabel and she thinks you're charming. She will be sure to ask for you when she hears I am out." He paused. "You wouldn't be a brute to her would you, Guy? You wouldn't throw her out of the house or anything like that?" Guy's lips tightened. "I should certainly let her see that I disapproved very strongly of the whole episode," he said. "Still you needn't worry about that, because I have not the least intention of meeting her." He picked up his pen and began to resume his work. "Yours is a very hard nature, Guy," said Tony sadly. "I think it's the result of never having known a woman's love." To this Guy did not condescend to answer, and after looking at him for a moment with a grieved expression, Tony sauntered downstairs to the front door. Outside stood the Hispano-Suiza--a long, slim, venomous-looking white car--with Jennings in attendance. Tony stepped in and took possession of the wheel. "I shall probably be back in about an hour, Jennings," he said, "and very likely I shall be going out again afterwards. I don't know which car I shall want, so you had better have them all ready." Jennings touched his cap with the expression of a resigned lemon ice, and pressing the electric starter Tony glided off down the drive. He reached Basil Mansions just on the stroke of eleven. Leaving the car in the courtyard he walked across to Molly's flat, where the door was answered by the beautiful French maid, who looked purer than ever in the healthy morning sunshine. As he entered the flat, Molly appeared in the hall. She was wearing a loose garment of green silk, caught together at the waist by a gold girdle. As a breakfast robe it erred perhaps on the side of the fantastic, but it had the merit of showing off her red hair to the best possible advantage. "You nice old thing, Tony," she said. "I know you hate getting up early, too." "I don't mind if there is anything to get up for," said Tony. "It's the barrenness of the morning that puts me off as a rule." Molly slipped her bare arm through his, and led him into the sitting-room. "You shall open the champagne," she said. "That will give you an interest in life." She brought him up to a little satin-wood table, on which stood a silver tray, with some glasses and a couple of small bottles of Heidsieek. Tony looked at the labels. [Illustration: Tony looked at the labels. "And do you mean to say," he remarked a little reproachfully, "that you really waste this on dramatic critics?" "I give them the choice," said Molly gravely. "They can either have that, or hold my hand. So far, they have always chosen the champagne."]