It happened that Julia had been listening during the entire conversation. "I say, mother," she said, "if daddy is not coming home to dinner, why give Harry and Maudie the fag of coming out here? Let's go and dine at the Trocadero and do a theatre afterward; it isn't often that you and I have the chance of getting off on the loose by ourselves. We could easily send a wire or I could run over and see Maudie, and she could 'phone to Harry from their house." "Yes, that's a very good idea," said Regina, who certainly did not want to sit at her own table in the absence of her lord and master and explain the exact circumstances of his absence. "You'd better wire, or--no--you might run over." "Then I'll lunch with Maudie." "All right. We'll dine at seven o'clock." "What theatre shall we go to?" "You can settle that with Maudie, can't you? Then you can 'phone from her house to any theatre you want to go to." "Very good. Do you know, mother, I think daddy is very worried. I wonder why everything seems to be Mr. Chamberlain; our house seems to be dominated by Mr. Chamberlain. I don't know why daddy doesn't get rid of him; he's no good to anybody." "Ah, that's easier said than done with a partner of any kind. Mr. Chamberlain may be a little wrong in his head, but he knows right enough when he is in for a good thing; it's no use thinking about that, so we may as well make the best of it." So at seven o'clock a well-dressed and extremely happy quartette arrived in pairs at the Trocadero and took up a position at a table in the gallery. The dinner was excellent, the music was alluring, the company was abundant and well-dressed, and Regina, released from the thraldom of Dr. Money-Berry, was at liberty to eat whatever came in due course. Harry Marksby had chosen the champagne, and all was merry as a marriage bell, when suddenly Julia made a remark, "Why, there's daddy," she said, looking over the balustrade. Regina looked in the opposite direction. "Really! he said he was going to dine at the Criterion or somewhere. I suppose his friend preferred to come here." "His friend is a lady," said Julia. Regina's heart gave a sick throb, her eyes followed the direction of Julia's gaze, and the next instant she beheld her noble Alfred sitting with his elbow on the table talking earnestly to a young and pretty woman. "Don't faint, darling," said Julia in a soft undertone. "I'm not in the least likely to faint," said Regina, with superb dignity. "Doubtless your father will give a perfectly simple explanation of his being here with a lady. Thank you, Harry, I will have a little more champagne." Oh, she was a plucky woman, Regina Whittaker! It was not in her nature to show the white feather! Her suspicions had crystallized themselves into human form. There was the hussy who had haunted her for months past, there she was in the flesh! "And I must say," said Regina to her own heart, "that Alfred does not look as if he were enjoying himself." CHAPTER XXIX