ANN came round in the morning, very petulant and angry because she had lost half-a-sovereign. This had so upset her that, once she was satisfied that René was not so ill as he looked, she had no other interest, and could only give vent to her annoyance in little splutters of irritation. She sat by René and talked about it until he had to ask her to go away. "All right," she said, "I know when I'm not wanted. But I do hate doing a thing like that. I can't think how I did it." "There was once," said Kilner, seeing how she was fretting his friend, "a crooked woman who lived in a crooked house, and she lost a crooked sixpence." "I know that story. Only it wasn't a crooked woman. It was Mrs. Vinegar, and she lived in a bottle, and she lost a sixpence and broke the bottle sweeping for it. Oh, Renny, he thinks I'm like Mrs. Vinegar! I am awful, I know." René smiled at Kilner. Ann said: "If there's any overtime to-day, I'll take it. Will you--be back to-night?" "I think I'll stay here if you don't mind." "Will you-- You'll let me come and see you?" She seemed to appeal to Kilner. He nodded. His consent comforted her, and she rose to go. René took her hand and said: "Ann, dear, I want you to believe that whatever happens I am always your friend." She answered: "I saw Rita this morning. She's all right." "That's good." "I was awful, wasn't I? Something seemed to come over me. I didn't want to be a beast, really I didn't. Only I do hate it when you can say what you mean and I can't. I do want to make it up, Renny. Only it doesn't seem like ordinary rows, does it?" "Come and see me to-night, Ann. You might tell old Martin I can't take the car out to-day." "You're not ill, are you?" "No. Only what you'd call queer." Kilner followed her out. "What's the matter with him?" she asked. "You." "Oh!" She was dismayed. "I don't mean it in any insulting sense. His affections and yours don't work in the same way." "I don't understand." "That's it." "I do understand more than you think, Mr. Kilner. If a feller wants to leave a girl, I say she's a fool to try and keep him. I don't believe Renny's that sort. I don't believe he'd see a girl left." "He's done it once." "Oh! Her! That's different. She wasn't fond of him like I am." "You don't know." "Don't I? Besides, she was one of your ladies. I'm sorry for them, always keeping one eye lifting on what other ladies are going to think." "Suppose he did leave you." "That's not your business, Mr. Kilner. If he did, I'd know you'd been making him upset with your talk." "It isn't all talk." "What is it, then?" "Something just as deep as what you call love; probably deeper." They had walked down the street leading to the mews, and now came to the corner. Ann stopped and stood hesitating. Her hand went up, and she pulled at her lower lip and shifted her feet uneasily.