d Heythorp。 Quite！ But suppose this Mrs。 Larne was really entangled with old Pillin； and the settlement a mere reward of virtue； easy or otherwise。 Well！ in that case there'd be no secret commission to make public； and he needn't go further。 So that； in either event； he would be all right。 Only how to introduce himself？ He might pretend he was a newspaper man wanting a story。 No； that wouldn't do！ He must not represent that he was what he was not； in case he had afterwards to justify his actions publicly； always a difficult thing； if you were not careful！ At that moment there came into his mind a question Bob Pillin had asked the other night。 〃By the way； you can't borrow on a settlement； can you？ Isn't there generally some clause against it？〃 Had this woman been trying to borrow from him on that settlement？ But at this moment he reached the house； and got out of his cab still undecided as to how he was going to work the oracle。 Impudence； constitutional and professional； sustained him in saying to the little maid：
〃Mrs。 Larne at home？ Say Mr。 Charles Ventnor； will you？〃
His quick brown eyes took in the apparel of the passage which served for hallthe deep blue paper on the walls； lilac…patterned curtains over the doors； the well…known print of a nude young woman looking over her shoulder； and he thought： 'H'm！ Distinctly tasty！' They noted； too； a small brown…and…white dog cowering in terror at the very end of the passage； and he murmured affably： 〃Fluffy！ Come here； Fluffy！〃 till Carmen's teeth chattered in her head。
〃Will you come in； sir？〃
Mr。 Ventnor ran his hand over his whiskers； and； entering a room； was impressed at once by its air of domesticity。 On a sofa a handsome woman and a pretty young girl were surrounded by sewing apparatus and some white material。 The girl looked up； but the elder lady rose。
Mr。 Ventnor said easily
〃You know my young friend； Mr。 Robert Pillin； I think。〃
The lady； whose bulk and bloom struck him to the point of admiration； murmured in a full； sweet drawl：
〃Oh！ Ye…es。 Are you from Messrs。 Scrivens？〃
With the swift reflection： 'As I thought！' Mr。 Ventnor answered：
〃Ernot exactly。 I am a solicitor though； came just to ask about a certain settlement that Mr。 Pillin tells me you're entitled under。〃
〃Phyllis dear！〃
Seeing the girl about to rise from underneath the white stuff； Mr。 Ventnor said quickly：
〃Pray don't disturb yourself …just a formality！〃 It had struck him at once that the lady would have to speak the truth in the presence of this third party； and he went on： 〃Quite recent； I think。 This'll be your first interest…on six thousand pounds？ Is that right？〃 And at the limpid assent of that rich； sweet voice； he thought： 'Fine woman； what eyes！'
〃Thank you； that's quite enough。 I can go to Scrivens for any detail。 Nice young fellow； Bob Pillin； isn't he？〃 He saw the girl's chin tilt； and Mrs。 Larne's full mouth curling in a smile。
〃Delightful young man； we're very fond of him。〃
And he proceeded：
〃I'm quite an old friend of his； have you known him long？〃
〃Oh！ no。 How long； Phyllis； since we met him at Guardy's？ About a month。 But he's so unaffectedquite at home with us。 A nice fellow。〃
Mr。 Ventnor murmured：
〃Very different from his father； isn't he？〃
〃Is he？ We don't know his father； he's a shipowner； I think。〃
Mr。 Ventnor rubbed his hands： 〃Ye…es；〃 he said； 〃just giving upa warm man。 Young Pillin's a lucky fellowonly son。 So you met him at old Mr。 Heythorp's。 I know him toorelation of yours； I believe。〃
〃Our dear Guardy such a wonderful man。〃
Mr。 Ventnor echoed： 〃Wonderfulregular old Roman。〃
〃Oh！ but he's so kind！〃 Mrs。 Larne lifted the white stuff： 〃Look what he's given this naughty gairl！〃
Mr。 Ventnor murmured： 〃Charming！ Charming！ Bob Pillin said； I think； that Mr。 Heythorp was your settlor。〃
One of those little clouds which visit the brows of women who have owed money in their time passed swiftly athwart Mrs。 Larne's eyes。 For a moment they seemed saying： 'Don't you want to know too much？' Then they slid from under it。
〃Won't you sit down？〃 she said。 〃You must forgive our being at work。〃
Mr。 Ventnor； who had need of sorting his impressions； shook his head。
〃Thank you； I must be getting on。 Then Messrs。 Scriven cana mere formality！ Goodbye！ Good…bye； Miss Larne。 I'm sure the dress will be most becoming。〃
And with memories of a too clear look from the girl's eyes； of a warm firm pressure from the woman's hand； Mr。 Ventnor backed towards the door and passed away just in time to avoid hearing in two voices：
〃What a nice lawyer！〃
〃What a horrid man！〃
Back in his cab； he continued to rub his hands。 No； she didn't know old Pillin！ That was certain； not from her words； but from her face。 She wanted to know him； or about him； anyway。 She was trying to hook young Bob for that sprig of a girlit was clear as mud。 H'm！ it would astonish his young friend to hear that he had called。 Well； let it！ And a curious mixture of emotions beset Mr。 Ventnor。 He saw the whole thing now so plainly； and really could not refrain from a certain admiration。 The law had been properly diddled！ There was nothing to prevent a man from settling money on a woman he had never seen； and so old Pillin's settlement could probably not be upset。 But old Heythorp could。 It was neat； though； oh！ neat！ And that was a fine womanremarkably！ He had a sort of feeling that if only the settlement had been in danger； it might have been worth while to have made a bargaina woman like that could have made it worth while！ And he believed her quite capable of entertaining the proposition！ Her eye！ Pityquite a pity！ Mrs。 Ventnor was not a wife who satisfied every aspiration。 But alas！ the settlement was safe。 This baulking of the sentiment of love； whipped up； if anything； the longing for justice in Mr。 Ventnor。 That old chap should feel his teeth now。 As a piece of investigation it was not so badnot so bad at all！ He had had a bit of luck； of course；no； not luckjust that knack of doing the right thing at the right moment which marks a real genius for affairs。
But getting into his train to return to Mrs。 Ventnor； he thought： 'A woman like that would have been！' And he sighed。
2
With a neatly written cheque for fifty pounds in his pocket Bob Pillin turned in at 23； Millicent Villas on the afternoon after Mr。 Ventnor's visit。 Chivalry had won the day。 And he rang the bell with an elation which astonished him； for he knew he was doing a soft thing。
〃Mrs。 Larne is out； sir； Miss Phyllis is at home。〃
His heart leaped。
〃Oh…h！ I'm sorry。 I wonder if she'd see me？〃
The little maid answered
〃I think she's been washin' 'er'air； sir； but it may be dry be now。 I'll see。〃
Bob Pillin stood stock still beneath the young woman on the wall。 He could scarcely breathe。 If her hair were not dryhow awful！ Suddenly he heard floating down a clear but smothered 〃Oh！ Gefoozleme！〃 and other words which he could not catch。 The little maid came running down。
〃Miss Phyllis says； sir； she'll be with you in a jiffy。 And I was to tell you that Master Jock is loose； sir。〃
Bob Pillin answered 〃Tha…anks；〃 and passed into the drawing…room。 He went to the bureau； took an envelope； enclosed the cheque； and addressing it： 〃Mrs。 Larne；〃 replaced it in his pocket。 Then he crossed over to the mirror。 Never till this last month had he really doubted his own face； but now he wanted for it things he had never wanted。 It had too much flesh and colour。 It did not reflect his passion。 This was a handicap。 With a narrow white piping round his waistcoat opening； and a buttonhole of tuberoses； he had tried to repair its deficiencies。 But do what he would； he was never easy about himself nowadays； never up to that pitch which could make him confident in her presence。 And until this month to lack confidence had never been his wont。 A clear； high； mocking voice said：
〃Oh…h！ Conceited young man！〃
And spinning round he saw Phyllis in the doorway。 Her light brown hair was fluffed out on her shoulders； so that he felt a kind of fainting…sweet sensation； and murmured inarticulately：
〃Oh！ I sayhow jolly！〃
〃Lawks！ It's awful！ Have you come to see mother？〃
Balanced between fear and daring； conscious of a scent of hay and verbena and camomile； Bob Pillin stammered：
〃Ye…es。 II'm glad she's not in； though。〃
Her laugh seemed to him terribly unfeeling。
〃Oh！ oh！ Don't be foolish。 Sit down。 Isn't washing one's head awful？〃
Bob Pillin answered feebly：
〃Of course； I haven't much experience。〃
Her mouth opened。
〃Oh！ You arearen't you？〃
And he thought desperately： 'Dare Ioughtn't Icouldn't I somehow take'her hand or put my arm round her； or something？' Instead； he sat very rigid at his end of the sofa； while she sat lax and lissom at the other； and one of those crises of paralysis which beset would… …be lovers fixed him to the soul。
Sometimes during this last month memories of a past existence； when chaff and even kisses came readily to the lips； and girls were fair game； would make him think： 'Is she really such an innocent？ Doesn't she really want me to kiss her？' Alas！ such intrusions lasted but a moment before a blast of awe and chivalry withered them； and a strange and tragic delicacylike nothing he had ever knownresumed its sway。 And suddenly he heard her say：
〃Why do you know such awful men？〃
〃What？ I don't know any awful men。〃
〃Oh yes； you do； one came here yesterday； he had whiskers； and he was awful。〃
〃Whiskers？〃 His soul revolted in disclaimer。 〃I believe I only know one man with whiskersa lawyer。〃
〃Yesthat was him； a perfectly horrid man。 Mother didn't mind him； but I thought he was a beast。〃
〃Ventnor！ Came here？ How d'you mean？〃
〃He did； about some business of yours； too。〃 Her face had clouded over。 Bob Pillin had of late been harassed by the still…born beginning of a poem：
〃I rode upon my way and saw A maid who watched me from the door。〃
It never grew longer； and was prompted by the feeling that her face was like an April day。 The cloud which came on it now was like an April cloud； as if a b