could hardly explain that to Miss Van Tuyn. To do so would be almost
brutal, and quite against all his traditions.

Again he caught her eye in the desperate silence. Her gaze seemed to
say to him: "When are you going to begin?" He felt that he must say
something, even though it were not what she was probably expecting.

"I was interested," he hurriedly began, clasping his beard and looking
away from his companion, "to hear the other day that a young friend of
mine had met you, a very charming and promising young fellow, who has a
great career before him, unless I am much mistaken."

"Who?" she asked; he thought rather curtly.

"Alick Craven of the Foreign Office. He told me he was introduced to you
at Adela Sellingworth's."

"Oh yes, he was," said Miss Van Tuyn.

And she said no more.

"He was very enthusiastic about you," ventured Braybrooke, wondering how
to interpret her silence.

"Really!"

"Yes. We belong to the same club, the St. James's. He entertained me for
more than an hour with your praises."

Miss Van Tuyn looked at him with rather acute inquiry, as if she