CHAPTER XXX

BEE MAKES A MORNING CALL

Their chauffeur broke the speed laws getting them to the apartment
house for bachelors where Bromfield lived.

His valet for once was caught off guard when he opened the door to
them. Beatrice was inside before he could quite make up his mind how
best to meet this frontal attack.

"We came to see Mr. Bromfield," she said.

"Sorry, Miss. He's really quite ill. The doctor says--"

"I'm Miss Whitford. We're engaged to be married. It's very important
that I see him."

"Yes, Miss, I know."

The man was perfectly well aware that his master wanted of all things
to avoid a meeting with her. For some reason or other, Bromfield was
in a state of collapse this morning the valet could not understand.
The man's business was to protect him until he had recovered. But he
could not flatly turn his master's fiancée out of the apartment. His
eye turned to Whitford and found no help there. He fell back on the
usual device of servants.