“May I ask,” he said, pompously--“May I ask, Miss Lansing, why you have not thought proper to communicate these--these strange circumstances to me before?” Sophy laughed. “Because I promised Diana I wouldn’t,” she answered. “She knew and _I_ knew that you and Mrs. May would be perfectly happy without her. She has taken her freedom, and I hope she’ll keep it!” “Then--my daughter is--presumably--still alive?” he said. “And instead of dying, she has--well!--deserted us?” “Exactly!” replied Sophy. “I would give you the name of the scientist for whom she is or was working, only I suppose you’d write and make trouble. When I had, as I thought, a letter from her the other day, saying she was returning to London, I got everything ready here to receive her--but when this artful girl turned up----” “Oh, the girl came to see you, did she?” Mr. May mumbled. “The--the adventuress----?” “Of course she did!--and actually brought me my watch-bracelet--one I had lent to Diana--as a sort of proof of identity. But of course nothing can make a woman of forty a girl of eighteen!” Mr. May put his hand to his bewildered head. “No--no--of course not!--I--I must tell Mrs. May our daughter is alive--it will be a shock--of surprise----” “No doubt!” said Sophy, sharply. “But she’s dead to _you_! Remember that! If I didn’t fear to make trouble for her I’d wire to her employer at Geneva about this pretender to her name--only it wouldn’t do any good, and I’d rather not interfere. And I advise you not to go dangling after the ‘new beauty,’ as she’s called--you really are too old for that sort of thing!” Mr. May winced. Then he drew himself up with an effort at dignity. “I shall endeavour to trace my daughter,” he said. “And I regret I cannot rely on your assistance, Miss Lansing! You have deceived us very greatly----” “Twaddle!” interrupted Miss Lansing, defiantly. “You made Diana wretched--and she’d have gone on housekeeping for you till she had lost all pleasure in living,--now she’s got a good salary and a situation which is satisfactory, and I’ll never help you to drag her back to the old jog-trot of attending to your food and comfort. So there! As for this, ‘bogus’ Diana, the best thing you can do is to go and tell her you know all about it, and that she can’t take you in any more.” “She’s the most beautiful thing ever seen!” he said, suddenly and with determination. Sophy Lansing gave him an “all over” glance of utter contempt. “What’s that to you if she is?” she demanded. “Will you _never_ recognise your age? She might be your daughter--almost your granddaughter! And you want to make love to her? Bah!”