Mrs. Shiffney, who was perpetually changing her mind in the chase after happiness, changed it about India. After all the preparations had been made, innumerable gowns and hats had been bought, a nice party had been arranged, and the yacht had been "sent round" to Naples, she decided that she did not want to go, had never wanted to go. Whether the defection of a certain Spanish ex-diplomat, who was to have been among the guests, had anything to do with her sudden dislike of "that boresome India," perhaps only she knew, and the ex-diplomat guessed. The whole thing was abruptly given up, and January found her in Grosvenor Square, much disgusted with her persecution by Fate, and wondering what on earth was to become of her. In such crises she generally sent for Susan Fleet, if the theosophist were within reach. She now decided to telegraph to Folkestone, where Susan was staying in lodgings not far from the house of dear old Mrs. Simpkins. Susan replied that she would come up on the following day, and she duly arrived just before the hour of lunch. She found Mrs. Shiffney dressed to go out. "Oh, Susan, what a mercy to see you! We are going to the Ritz. We shall be by ourselves. I want you to advise me what to do. Things have got so mixed up. Is the motor there?" "Yes." "Come along, then." At the Ritz, although she met many acquaintances, Mrs. Shiffney would not join any one for lunch or let any one join her. "Susan and I have important matters to discuss," she said, smiling. Her face and manner had completely changed directly she got out of the motor. She now looked radiant, like one for whom life held nothing but good things. And all the time she and Susan were lunching and talking she preserved a radiant demeanor. Her reward was that everyone said how handsome Adelaide Shiffney was looking. She even succeeded in continuing to look handsome when she found that Susan had made private plans for the immediate future. "I've promised to go to Algiers," Susan said over the _oeufs en cocotte_, when Mrs. Shiffney asked what was to be done to make things lively. "To Algiers! Why? What is there to do there? You know it inside out." "Scarcely that. I'm going to stay with Charmian Heath." Mrs. Shiffney's large mouth suddenly looked a little hard, though her general expression hardly altered. "Oh! Whereabouts are they?" "Up at Mustapha, not far from Mrs. Graham."