The Powers and Maxine

e, and get upstairs to my own quarters. But just as I had sat up, very cramped and wretche

daft on the subject, they must have kept me lying there an hour, while they fussed about from one glass-protected book-case to another, murmuring admiration of Caxtons, or discussing the

eaving the coast clear and the door wide open. It was just my luck (which is always bad and always has been) that a pair of flirting idiots, for whom the conservatory,

ere she had no business to be. Then, to make bad worse, they selected the lounge to sit upon, and I had to lie closely wedged against the wall, with

es were "heard off," as they say in the directions for theatricals, whereupo

, I scuttled out of my ball dress and into a dressing gown. Also I undid my hair, which is my one beauty, and let it hang over my shoulders, streaming down in front on each side, so that nobody would know one shoulder is higher than the other. It wasn't that I

e door, to steal away if she found me aslee

ate, and she had danced all night, but instead of looking tired she was radiant. When she spoke, her voice was

hat if I hadn't wanted to hear how everything had gone at

ll," said she. "I think

?" I asked, working up slo

few that I

you," said I. "Ivor Dundas. And o

id you

, you needn't try to hide anything from me. He tells m

dn't p

gave me, if he didn't tell you he loved you, and ask i

celet even if-if-. But yo

wrench of the heart. "And I suppose you forgot all his faults a

this evening," said Di, with her cheeks very pink. "He may have flirted a lit

love Maxine!

, when he said the usual things, about never having cared seriously for anyone until he saw me. Only-it seems treacherous to call them 'usual' be

ther woman," I mocked at her, trying

e hateful someti

en it's too late. I want you to keep your eyes open, and see exactly where you're going. It's the

th a proud air which would, I suppo

idn't deny

. I wish I hadn't, now. I wish I'd shown that I trusted him entirely

er to-morrow," said I drily. "Indeed, you couldn't if you want

hat looked positively black with excitement. "He's going to the Duchess of G

he wo

know anythi

'll tell you what I know, if

t th

nd out, and that you'll swear ne

But-I'm not sure I want you to tell me. I have faith

your prettiest frock to please Ivor, when just about that time he'll be arr

ed violet instead of black. "I don't bel

d I know he's going es

condition-that if he found he cared enough for her to want to see her again, he must go

over, he probably did find

t as much when we parted

e'd arranged a meeting with M

e drea

e same dream if you'll be at Victoria Station to-morrow, or ra

d to white. "And you shall be with me, to see

, just you and I, and nobody else in the house the wiser. If I'm

in which case he'd probably write me. But-at the station, I shall ask him straight out-that is, if he's there, as I'm

im all is over

ut my telling, after

ill say nothing about having

red. And I knew she

DAS' POI