"Oh, you would if you could--I've known that a long time!" she cried. "Wouldn't you just--rather! You'd do it if it was only to give _me_ one for myself! _I_ know you." Louie thought she rather liked her for making a fight of it. She still smiled. "Then that was it?" she said. Evie flushed even more deeply. "You didn't suppose I didn't know all about that absurd meeting, did you?" she said, with a still darker flush. "Dear me, no. I've known for weeks that you 'knew'--if we mean the same thing. Perhaps we don't, though. Anyway, I can quite understand your wanting to see for yourself. Miss Levey can't tell you everything." Evie's inability to speak for mere fury was so evident that Louie, after watching her for a moment, continued: "As for that picture, naturally I wanted to keep it. I'm sure you'll see that for yourself." Here Evie flamed. "'Naturally!'" she broke out. Louie gave an almost humorous shrug. "Well, surely it's natural?" "Natural!... As if his coming in wasn't the merest accident!" "Oh, I know that; but what _are_ you here for then? And now that you _have_ been and seen, what can you possibly do about it?" Evie's lips seemed as thick as if a bee had stung them. She broke out again. "'It!'--I like your 'it,' Miss Causton or Mrs. Causton or whatever you call yourself!" Louie coolly smoothed the folds of her blouse. "By 'it,' I mean, of course, my loving your husband," she said. "As you guessed, I knew that you knew about that picture. But it's really a much older thing than that! I don't quite know how old; while you were still engaged to somebody else--as old as that anyhow. And as it's purely my affair, and even he can't stop it, I wonder what _you_ can possibly do!--I'm 'Miss' Causton, by the way." Louie had almost a genius for these last words that could be taken up; she smiled again as Evie, taking them up, said: "Oh, _are_ you!" "Well, I don't think I need be longer than I like, but that's neither here nor there. The important thing at present is whether you were wise to come to-day or not. I wonder whether you'd let me give you a piece of advice?" And that, as Evie still stood speechless with rage, might be described as the end of the first round. There was a long pause during which the two women stood looking at one another. Then the second round began, with a rapid exchange of half sentences. "Advice! Thanking you very much for your kindness----" "Oh, please don't raise your voice; they aren't double windows here." "Advice is cheap." "Far from it, believe me." "You common----" "Sssh, ssh, ssh! Your husband wasn't above asking my advice----" "I'll take very good care----" "Please--there are other people in these flats." "Well, is noise anything new here?" said Evie grossly. "Oh, you really shouldn't say those things!" And again they fell back, as it were, for breath. It was Louie who presently resumed.