her brother, had wanted for several years to marry Christine. Hickson was
a dull, kindly, fairly well-to-do young man--exactly the type you would
like to see your rival marry. Hickson had motored out with his sister,
and had received some excellent counsel on the way.

"Now, Ned," she had said, "don't cut your own throat by being an adoring
foil. Don't let Christine grind your face in the dust, just to show this
new man that she can do it."

"You don't do Christine justice," he had answered, "if you think she
would do that."

His sister did not reply. She thought it would have been doing the girl
injustice to suppose that she would do anything else.

They were still sitting about the tea-table at a quarter to seven, when
Christine and Mrs. Almar rose simultaneously. It was almost time for the
arrival of Riatt, and neither had any fancy for meeting him save at her
best--in all the panoply of evening dress.

"We're not dining till a quarter past eight, my dears," said Mrs. Ussher.

Both ladies thought they would lie down before dinner. And here chance
took a hand. Riatt's train was late, whereas Christine's clock was fast.
And so it happened that she came downstairs just as he was coming up.

There had been no one to greet him. He was told by the butler that Mrs.
Ussher was dressing, that dinner would be in fifteen minutes; he started
to bound up the stairs, following the footman with his bags, when
suddenly looking up the broad flight he saw a blond vision in white and