"This is nice and hot," he said, placing the plate on the table at her elbow and offering the cup. "I hope you'll forgive me for neglecting you." "On one condition," replied Leah, stirring her tea. "Consider it fulfilled," was the impetuous answer. "Why did you look surprised when you saw that gentleman at the door?" Leah pointedly suppressed the fact that Kaimes was her husband, as, if there was anything, she would learn it the more easily by pretending that Jim was a stranger. In fact, should Askew learn that the man who had startled him was her lawful lord, he might decline to open his lips. The lieutenant's next words proved the wisdom of her concealment. "Oh, Berring," he said, carelessly. "Well, I was surprised to see Berring so unexpectedly." "Is his name Berring?" asked Lady Jim, guessing that she was about to learn something connected with Jim's very shady past. "Yes; I met him in Lima." "Lima?" "In Peru, and that's in South America." Leah nodded. "I did learn geography at school," she said, setting down her empty cup; and when Askew coloured at the implied snub, softened it by asking a friendly question: "You are surprised at meeting Mr.--er--er--Berring, here?" "Yes; I said so before. A nice sort of chap, but selfish." "What a reader of character you are, Mr. Askew!" He looked up eagerly. "You know him, then." "A little. Why do you ask?" The young man stared at the ground, and replied in muffled tones: "I thought you might have met his wife." "Mrs. Berring?" "Of course." Leah began to laugh. The idea that Jim might be a bigamist had never struck her before. She had guessed that there was a woman connected with those frequent journeys to Lima, but that Jim had adopted the Mormon religion was news. Some women would have been angry, but Leah had no amatory feelings likely to arouse jealousy, so she was frankly amused at her husband's duplicity. Also, she was sorry for Mrs. Berring, who perhaps was silly enough to love Jim. "Is she a nice woman?" was her next question. "She's an angel." "That means, you love her." "How do you----?" "Because you are a brick wall I can see through, Mr. Askew. No; I have never met Mrs. Berring. Why did she throw you over and marry Mr.--er--Berring?" Askew looked quite alarmed. "I say you _are_ clever," he remarked. "Why not? You called me Circe, and I must live up to the name. Well?" "Well!" echoed Askew, blankly, and their eyes met. He coloured. "No, I can't tell you," he said quickly, for he guessed her desire. "Yes, you can, and you will," rejoined Leah, composedly. Jim was bearing the artillery of Mrs. Penworthy's eyes in his usual indifferent way, and showed no disposition to seek out his wife. Probably he would remain for the next hour in the clutches of the little woman, who was the limpet to Jim's rock. This being so, Leah began to ask questions which Askew hesitated to answer. "We hardly know one another," he murmured, embarrassed. "I daren't tell you, Lady James."