"Oh, a frock! Why is it a woman can never keep to the point?" demanded this young Mr. Brace. "What's it got to do with the matter in hand what frock Miss Million chooses to go out in?" "Why, everything! Doesn't it just show what's happening," I explained patiently. "It means that Miss Million doesn't make an oracle of me any more. She'd rather model herself on some of the people she's going to supper with tonight. Miss Vi Vassity, say----" "What! That awful woman on the halls?" broke in Mr. Brace, with as much disapproval in his voice and tone as there could have been in my Aunt Anastasia's if she had been told that any girl she knew was hobnobbing with "London's Love," the music-hall artiste. "Who introduced her to Miss Million, may I ask?" he went on. "No, I needn't ask; I can guess. That's this man Burke. That's his crowd. Music-hall women, German Jews, disreputable racing men, young gilded idiots like the man in the cavalry who sent him to me." Then (furiously): "That's the set of people he'll bring in to associate with you two inexperienced girls," said Mr. Brace. And now his face was very angry--quite pale with temper. He looked rather fine, I thought. He might have posed for a picture of one of Cromwell's young Ironsides, straight-lipped, uncompromisingly sincere, and "square," and shocked at everything. I simply couldn't help rather enjoying the mild excitement of seeing him so wrathful. Surely he must be really _épris_ with Million to be so roused over her knowing a few unconventional people. I've read somewhere that the typical young Englishman may be considered to be truly in love as soon as he begins to resent some girl's other amusements. Mr. Brace went on: "And where has he taken Miss Million to this evening, may I ask?" I moved to put the cushions straight on the couch as I gave him the evening's programme. "They were dining at the Carlton with a party, I think. Then they were going on to see Miss Vi Vassity's turn at the Palace. Then they were all to have supper at a place called the Thousand and One----" "Where?" put in Mr. Brace, in a voice so horrified that it made his remarks up till then sound quite pleased and approving. "The Thousand and One Club? He's taken Miss Million there? Of all places on earth! You let her go there?" He spoke as if nothing more terrible could have happened.... CHAPTER XVII REVELRY BY NIGHT BUT why am I writing all this, in view of the really serious and terrible thing that has happened after all? Yes. The most terrible thing has happened. Miss Million has disappeared. Gone! And no trace of her! And I don't know where to look for her.... But to go back to the beginning of it all--to that fatal evening when Mr. Reginald Brace stood there in her sitting-room, looking at me with that horrified face because I told him she'd gone to supper at the Thousand and One Club.