"What would Baroni say to your smoking?" queried Jerry, as he tendered his case and held a match for her to light her cigarette. "I'm not singing anywhere for a week," laughed Diana. "So this orgy is quite legitimate." And she inhaled luxuriously. "Now, go on, Jerry, what plans of yours have been upset?" "Well"--Jerry reddened--"I wrote to my governor the other day. It--it was to please Joan, you know." Diana nodded, her grey eyes dancing. "Of course," she said gravely, "I quite understand." "And--and here's his answer!" He opened his pocket-book, and extracting a letter from the bundle it contained, handed it to Diana. "You mean you want me to read this?" "Please." Diana unfolded it, and read the following terse communication:-- "Come home and bring the lady. Am fattening the calf.--Your affectionate Father." "Jerry, I should adore your father," said Diana, as she gave him back the letter. "He must he a perfect gem amongst parents." "He's not a bad old chap," acknowledged Jerry, as he replaced the paternal invitation in his pocket-book. "But you see the difficulty? I was going to ask Errington to give me a few days' leave, and I don't like to bother him now that he has all this worry about Miss de Gervais on his hands." Diana flushed hotly at Jerry's tacit acceptance of the fact that Adrienne's affairs were naturally of so much moment to her husband. It was another pin-prick in the wound that had been festering for so long. She ignored it, however, and answered quietly:-- "Yes, I see. Perhaps you had better leave it for a few days. What about Pobs? He'll have to be consulted in the matter, won't he?" "I told him, long ago, that I wanted Joan. Before"--with a grin--"I ever summoned up pluck to tell Joan herself! He was a brick about it, but he thought I ought to make it up with the governor before Joan and I were formally engaged. So I did--and I'm jolly glad of it. And now I want to go down to Crailing, and fetch Joan, and take her with me to Abbotsleigh. So I should want at least a week off." "Well, wait till Max comes back," advised Diana, "We shall know more about the matter then. And--and--Jerry!" She stretched out her hand, which immediately disappeared within Jerry's big, boyish fist. "Good luck, old boy!" * * * * * * Max returned at about ten o'clock, and Diana proceeded to offer polite inquiries about Miss de Gervais' welfare. She wondered if he would remember how near they had been to each other just for an instant before the news of the attempt upon Adrienne's life had reached them. But apparently he had forgotten all about it. His thoughts were entirely concerned with Adrienne, and he was unusually grave and preoccupied. He ordered a servant to bring him some sandwiches and a glass of wine, and when he and Diana were once more alone, be announced abruptly:-- "I shall have to leave home for a few days." "Leave home?" echoed Diana.