she said. ‘We might have tea rather late-shall we?-and have high tea? Wouldn’t that be rather nice?’

‘I promised to be at Shortlands for dinner,’ he said.

‘But-it doesn’t matter-you can go tomorrow-’

‘Hermione is there,’ he said, in rather an uneasy voice. ‘She is going away in two days. I suppose I ought to say good-bye to her. I shall never see her again.’

Ursula drew away, closed in a violent silence. He knitted his brows, and his eyes began to sparkle again in anger.

‘You don’t mind, do you?’ he asked irritably.

‘No, I don’t care. Why should I? Why should I mind?’