A Butterfly on the Wheel

of the night before had given place to that incompa

htfully scented air, from the lilac blossoms and all the flowers o

on according to the hour in which the even

doesn't impose one's mood, one's fancy, or one's ideas upon the place, but is domi

and one has known rooms in hotels which one enters gladly, unconscious of the pervading gloom which seems to cli

been the theatre of such tragic emotions on the last sp

. The carpet had been brushed, and its dull blues, gre

and white lilac. The silver candlesticks had been polished-there were no drippings of wax upo

is freshness two people

-green which the ordinary person who wears flannels imagines to be the right thing, but the real grey-grey which cost

t-colour." He wore a stiff double collar with blue lines upon it, a tie of China silk, and a big black pearl

squerie the flickering attempt to really be at home and happy with the world. The face itself was rather tanned and brown, lean in contour and suggesting the explorer and the t

upon him, for he had thrown himself upon the sofa-was a tall, slim, and gracious woman, perf

though she had been travelling all night, she appeared

and of scarlet upon a tower of ivory." Lady Attwill's eyes were sapphire-blue and suspicious, but entirely charming. She was, in short, a

will you, Paul

th a little bow. She crossed the room, knocked, opened the

ill's face changed from its

Lord Ellerdine; "you've been

is whole silly-but somehow distinguished-face

ay so. I don't mind gettin' i

are you grumbling abou

get into a fix-any time. It's gettin' out-what? That

ug him confidentially in the shou

she said; "now, di

u've always be

got you out of

f a somewhat attenuated memory. "Yes," he replied; "not so confounded ma

d. "I am not in this one, exactly. No more are you. It's Peggy's fix. An

n had been able to realise it he would have seen the flash of contempt which came

serious. Collingwood is not the man to r

Ellerdine said. "He's not

mplication with Admaston," she answered.

grinned his fat

ke your word for ev

answered; "just you leav

ow at it. But tell me this. How did Peggy and Collingwood get to my pl

through the ni

l didn't," repl

d us he did," sa

did. But th

had been laid upon the breakfast table. At these words of her c

d, "I believe yo

now

is it,

y place in a hired motor next morning. I heard all a

erested, or achieved a fair assumpt

ow is now my second chauffeur. So you see I can find out things if I have time enough. Alice, I d

, "can't a woman stay at the same hote

ts of women wouldn't mind staying at the same hotel I was staying at, and nobody would dream that

rm playfully. "You silly old Dicky," she said, "you've b

"they know pretty w

bout women and their gossip! Why, Dicky, th

was a hardly veiled hostility in her face as she spoke, though he

a somewhat curious glance at the old maidserv

to the fireplace. "Tell Peggy

ll said. "You amuse you

iced Pauline, who was arranging some violets upon a si

d replied; "just a little ner

to say. I feel very groggy. I have bee

om just as the third door opened and

and cheery purpose in his movements, and he seemed singularly alert and débonnaire; perfectly dressed, a very proper man to look at, but somehow or other without a suggestion of foppishness, which Lord

u are!" Lord

lingwood replied. "Brig

other; "but not so de

d you ge

five o'

break

I had a bath, a shave, a cha

window and sat looking idly

very filling," he s

now. They are packed out. The place is full of big bookies and racing fellows.

urned away fr

t you in? How

d to find words in whic

know-quite. Any

stand," Collin

business, Colling! I know your beastly way of putti

tte very deliberately. "

s you could!" w

the end of the sofa, swinging h

Moritz?" Lord E

ngwood answ

in Switz

N

where a

" Collingwood said, "

lushed up and be

it, there you are! And you have got

," he said. "It's all right. Only a trifling con

He tried to be judicial in his manner. "Now, are yo

he last moment paying duty on Peggy's cig

g further, but Lord Ellerdine int

enly: "Yes, getting into the

u jumped Peggy on and sprang after her, dragging h

s shoulders. "Well, whe

t one. With Alice. It was a

ave you w

ently. "No, no," he said irritably;

u to Chalons that we had

I would not have gone if Alice had not persuaded me that the train was

he perfect sang-froid with which he had listened to all the other's

rdine replied. "Is it? Suppose

think it is absolutely necessary, we'll

do it. I never could invent-never. No good

. "Now, look here, Dicky," he said persuasively. "I didn't think you'

r believes that people get on the wrong train, or hav

his cigarette into the fireplace. "Now, look here," he said; "

fiver it's known in London to-night. There is always someone on the spot to notice things that go wrong, and thi

nscience at rest, that's

ow

per, coherent, connected yarn

said. "You can't get four people to tell the same yarn without variation

ps," said Collingwood; "but I don't mean th

ll, it'll take a deuce of a lot of p

Collingwood replied

ce more and stood with his back to the

llingwood began. "We all

we di

aid, "of course we didn'

rs of one hand, as if anxious to commit them to memory

y we did," Coll

e to," Lord Ellerdine

Are you the George Wa

he was anxious to avoid. "No, no," he said quickly; "it's not the tr

sson to a child, speaking slowly and impressively. "'We all got

ed the sentence in ex

t on the wr

on't relax your attention, old chap. The next

to the first finger of his left. He appeared to have got it all right

here?"

e; at thi

bally lie? Now think it over for yourself. Lis

ened without any betrayal of what he reall

id, "what's w

hough the speaker did not amplify his statemen

stay here. If you can say, 'We all got on the wrong train,' surely

d slowly. "I suppose it

ucked diplomacy,"

a fib or two for in

onscience begins to prick you only whe

found out. It's awful to be found out in an ordinary

me that national lies

find words,-"you see, national lies are not about persons." Then he shook his head. "I'm damned bad at it, Coll

one whatever," C

ed to himself slowly in a sing-song voice; and then

," said C

second half of his lesson. "'We all stayed the night

ood replied. "Only say it often enough. Say it thi

Lady Attwill came in. She looked qu

he said. "Well

n in a minute or two. I have had a warm quarter of an hour, I c

acting supremely, for there seem

ut up?" Lord E

adfully cut up! I don't know what

y. He was the bearer of good news. "Oh, that's all settled," he said, rub

at?" Lady At

you see,

t's face. "Tell her, Collingwood," he said. "My he

ything to think about?" Lady

Collingwoo

rs. Goes off to Paris and leaves us kicking our confounded heels at Chalons. We come here after them-find the hotel full of bookies-travel all ni

hingly. "He's had a bad night. Dicky is no good unless he gets his proper

it that you have arranged?" As she said this she felt in the side pocket of his coat and drew out h

he sofa on which his friend had seated herself. "A short

?" Lady At

ng to tell Admaston the trut

know?" Lady

"I'll bet Collingwood a five

hings so easily, absolutely unconscious of anything underlying this unfortunat

ered. "Anyway, we can say we

train,'" came with parrot-like

Attwill said, looking

face radiant with triumph. "There you are!" h

see," she said; "that is the short, straight, sim

d said with a smile. "See ho

e picks up things very quickly. But tell he

ve a look at it,"

r of a comedian. His hands fluttered before him in

he night at this

ious look in his eyes towards Lad

is hotel,'" said Lady Attwill w

are!" said

light-hearted chatter, in this gay and brilliant room. The other two, man and woman, were playing their parts most skilfully-not

e able to infuse a sinister and tragic moment with mocking gaiety certainly prov

evil is generally represen

llowed by another also carrying a tray, but whose swarthy features and thi

ed up. "Food!" he s

she said. "I always think he never seems quite human till he h

er with a warning lo

, with a rather sardonic gr

mean," Collin

self in front of the cafetière an

te and drummed with his fingers upon the table-cloth. "'We all stay

aid Jacques of Ecc

ce expressing great surprise. "Get away

te under the same control as they had been before. "L

n ugly and furtive smile upon his face, w

ere's my coffee?" s

she answered. "

ded. "What is t

e covers. "Omelette, b

e fo

lerdine remarked, quite himself

, upon my soul, I feel like a fried flounder this morning. I don't think I

Attwill remarked, taking a

Collingwood echoed; "don't

on, "it wasn't so bad. You worr

ut it. You slept like a log

the lady, beginning her brea

he wrong train," sai

his nerves had been subjected, the irritation which he had so

e tired. Do shut up about the wrong tra

as thick as yours, Colling, old man," he said. "You do take things sm

at his vis-à-vis. "

into this mess. What excellent bacon t

g temper. "Oh, you'll be all right, Dicky," h

g," Lady Attwil

tarted. "We a

Lady Attwill again.

Back

Lond

d said, putting down his fork and

and he knew that wh

t it in my bones all the time I was in that beastly train. Peggy's got

le with a perplexed and angry face, a

"is this the first time that

ortly. "But it is the first time it ha

od said, "that we are makin

p it," came fro

ine persisted, "don'

tter of every propriety. I know that there has been nothing wrong. Absolutely nothing but little frisks and frolics now and then-quite all right ac

s near to a pulpit manner as he could get, "cannot afford to have anyone say a word. Look

ly at all, but with a rather na

. I can't stand it. I am not moral-don't know the first thing about it-never met anybody who did. Man is not moral; environme

en to our future Home Secr

leave that field to Admaston and t

rdine was about to say something else,

ther grey nor amethyst, but a cunning blend of both. At her breast she wore a little sprig of white lila

ave been dying for a cup of coffee. Anything good in the food line? Something smells good. What is it? Mushrooms-just the very thing! I like mus

didn't seem to require any answer to her questions. At anyrate, nobody made an

at's up with you all? These mushrooms are nice. Dicky, p

ad. "No," she answered in

ter and rose from her chair. "This room is horribly stuffy," she said, going to the wind

n long in one position, and soon she ha

ther cup of coffee.-Well, Dicky, I put my

l did," Lord Ellerd

anted to talk abou

gy, don't go on like that. I

the one to exp

ed, "it was my fault I ru

ning to be familiar had penetrated his consciou

l?" Peg

atist-"yes-no-that's w

m?" ask

ll, to anyone wh

ant to know?"

ady Attwill; "but it's best

hy should I know? Be

ely nothing. Only, some

k w

kward qu

ing on the

train and we all stayed

s-a

tions. She would not unders

ght at this hotel," L

?" Pegg

! Oh! But it is be

me right. You and Alice didn't go to Switzerland-you came on to Paris. You and Alice didn't get to Chalons and come on here by the

es," Collingwoo

I hope your moral sensibilities are quite satisfied. We all got

y; "just a short, straight, simpl

mergency do

ady Attwill said, with a note o

n't you think the tale will

f someone q

here was a world of mea

xiously-"you see, it's all right, Pe

Nothing at all," she s

he night before; and though her head was throbbing and her nerves were all jangling and raw, her freshness and

set of fools? No-that's unkind of me. Not you, Alice. Not you, Dicky. I am the precious fool. Fool! Why, I should have been in cap and bells! A thing to make the whole world laugh. F

d it!" Lord Ellerdine blundered

'It looks so deuced bad.' That's it. Looks! But only looks. What do yo

" Colling

ent on; "there's

that," Lord Eller

of her. "Then why the explanation-the 'short

o out. This place is stifling! We ought all to be out in the air. We'll grow mouldy in here-plotting. Ali

to her own and shut the doo

gered!" Lord E

tightening of the lips. "I told

m the table and went

to satisfy you. I'll get my hat and take Peggy for

t to the fireplace and gazed rather gloomily at the glowing logs. "May the d

y, it is very strange," she said. "I have

o think the worst has hap

t in Peggy's good books," she said, and, pulling one of

g the Matin lying on the sofa, where Lady Attwill had dropped it before br

the corridor, which was flung open immediately aft

he said in a l