I've no money. Three-and-six, to be exact. Everything she has is locked up. What--what am I to do about the bills if she stays away like this? She seems to have been away a century. Yet it's only half-past twelve now. In half an hour Mr. Brace will be calling on me for an answer to his proposal of marriage.... There's another complication! Oh! Why is life like this? Long dull stretches of nothing at all happening for years and years. Then, quite suddenly, "a crowded hour" of--No! Not "glorious life" exactly. But one disturbing thing happening on the top of another, until---- "Ppppring!" Ah, the telephone again. Perhaps this is some news. The cobra-lady may have heard where Miss Million went.... "Yes?" It wasn't the cobra-lady. It was the rich, untrustworthy accent of the Honourable James Burke. Ah! At last! At last! Now, I thought, I should hear something; some hint of Miss Million's whereabouts. "Yes?" I called eagerly. "Yes! I know who that is," called the voice--how different, now that I heard it again, from that of the Mr. J. Burke I rang up earlier, by mistake. "That's the pearl of all ladies'-maids, isn't it? Good morning, Miss Lovelace-Smith!" "Good morning, Mr. Burke," I called back grudgingly. Aggravating young man! How was I to find out what I wanted to know without possibly giving my mistress away? Perhaps he had been sent to ring me up to bring Miss Million's things to--wherever the party of them were. I began: "Can I do anything for you--sir?" "Certainly. Call me that again!" "What?" snappishly. "Call me 'sir' again, just like that," pleaded the Honourable and Exasperating Jim. "I never heard any pet name sound so pretty!" I shook my head furiously at the receiver. Teasing me like this, when I was deadly serious, and so anxious to get sense out of him for once! Tormenting me from "under cover" of a telephone that didn't allow me to see his face or to know where he was. I said angrily: "Where are you speaking from?" "I've paid--I mean I've had to get a trunk-call for these few minutes, so don't let them be spent in squabbling, child," said Mr. Burke sweetly. "I'm in Brighton." "Brighton----" Ah! They were all down there probably. That was it! He'd whisked them away on his coach--on Leo Rosencranz's coach--just as he'd said he would! At last I'd know---- "Brighton's looking fine this morning," took up the easy, teasing voice. "Let me take you down here for a glimpse of the waves and the downs on your next afternoon out, Miss Maid. Say you will? You've no engagement?" I began, quite savagely: "Yes, I've----" "Mr. Brace!" announced one of the chocolate-liveried page-boys at the door. Quickly I turned. And in my silly flurry I was idiotic enough to hang up the receiver again! Horrors! That's done it! I've rung off before I've been able to ask that villain, the Honourable Jim, where I am to ring him up, or ring any of them up, in Brighton!