St. John swallowed the bait. The idea of a diversion was pleasing to him, and the knowledge that he had been missed gratified his vanity. "Dear little girl, of course I will," he answered. "I'll just go and put it all right with Thompkins, and then I'll be at your service. Jill's in the studio. You saw her though, didn't you?" Miss Bolton flushed. "Ye-es," she answered hesitatingly, "for a minute. Make haste, Jack dear; I am so impatient to be off. While you are gone I will look at these abominable photographs. I meant to let you take mine to-day, but I object to being caricatured." "You must let Jill paint you," he said, "She's first class at portrait painting and would like to get some customers." "One day," the girl answered vaguely, "perhaps I will." St. John hurried out, and Miss Bolton turned with languid interest to inspect the portraits round the walls. When her cousin returned he discovered her intently scrutinising a cabinet photograph of Mr Markham. "What a libel," she cried holding it up. "This is your handiwork, I should imagine. When did you take it?" "Oh! I don't know," he answered carelessly, "Jill took it one day. She has taken him lots of times; he often calls in." Evie's eyebrows went up with a show of surprise. "Is he a friend of--Mrs St. John?" she asked. "I suppose so; Jill likes him. He and I were always rather chummy, and he drops in in to talk about--oh! well, about old times and--friends, you know." "He never told me," she rejoined slowly. "I saw him yesterday and he mentioned very casually that he met you recently; he did not say that he was intimate here." "Perhaps he didn't think that it would interest you," he suggested. "Or he might have thought the subject tabooed." "With me?" she cried. "Impossible! I am always talking about you." "Very flattering of you, my dear Evie," he laughingly rejoined, "but you'll never persuade me that you are so one idead." Miss Bolton put the photograph back in its place, and turned towards the entrance with an evident desire to get away. "I am," she said. "I've only got one idea at present and that's tea. Don't let us waste more time, Jack, but come along at once." "It's an awful pity Jill can't come with us," he remarked as he followed her out, "but we couldn't both leave together." "Yes," acquiesced Evie, none too heartily, "it is a pity. Never mind she sees plenty of you now and I don't. She can't begrudge me a few hours now and then. I am seriously thinking of getting married myself, Jack; it is so deadly dull since you went." Thinking of Markham, St. John looked pleased. "Why don't you?" he asked. "I am going to," she answered settling herself in a corner of the carriage with an airy laugh. "I am looking about for a title." "Oh!" observed St. John disapprovingly, "I shouldn't bother about that. Why not look about for someone you can give your heart to?"