He tried to intercept her before she reached the door, but she was too quick for him. She went out and was about to close the door behind her when he called out: "Please send Francois to me." She nodded. "Yes, dear, I will. Of course you need him. Why didn't I think of it before?" She closed the door and went downstairs. It was hard to believe that he was back home. How long she had waited for this day, and, even now it had come, the void did not seem filled. There still seemed something wanting. What it was, she did not know, yet it was there. In the dining-room she ran into Ray, who had her arms filled with magnificent American beauty roses. "Oh, how beautiful!" cried Helen enthusiastically. "Where did you get those flowers?" The young girl laughed. "They're a present from me and Wilbur--in honor of Kenneth's arrival. Where is he?" "Upstairs--he's going to lie down until dinner is ready. Poor soul--he's almost dead with fatigue." "Has he got the diamonds?" Helen gasped. She hadn't thought of that. In all the excitement the real object of her husband's trip to South Africa had quite escaped her mind. "I don't know," she said quickly. "I haven't asked him. We've hardly exchanged a dozen words. He'll tell us later. Was nothing said about them at the Customs? Didn't he declare them?" "No--I thought it was strange. That's why I asked you if he had them. Possibly he left them to be cut in Amsterdam." Helen grew thoughtful. "I don't know. He'll tell us later." Ray filled the vases with the flowers, while Helen busied herself at the buffet, getting out all the pretty silverware with which the dinner table was to be decorated. The young girl hummed lightly as she decorated the room with the fragrant blossoms. "Isn't it lovely that Kenneth is back?" she exclaimed. "Yes, indeed." "I hardly knew him at first in those spectacles." "I'm not surprised at that." "If it hadn't been for that white patch of hair I don't think we could have picked him out of the crowd. There was an awful crush there." There was a pause, and then Helen asked: "How do you think he looks?" "About the same," replied the girl carelessly. "He doesn't seem in as good spirits as when he went away. He is very quiet. He hardly spoke a word to us on the way home. Possibly he has some business anxiety on his mind." "Did he ask about me?" "Yes--you were his first question." "Did you tell him about Dorothy?" "That she was not so well? Yes." "What did he say? Was he worried?" "Not particularly. I think men are more sensible in those matters than we women. He knows baby is well taken care of." Changing the subject, the young girl went on: "I hope everybody will be jolly to-night. I've made up my mind to have a good time." Helen sighed.