"I shall not be long," she said to Johnny, and perhaps was glad of the
excuse to leave him.

"I will wait till you come back, Joan."

She smiled and nodded, and hastened to the house and the drawing-room,
and, opening the door, went in to find herself face to face with Philip
Slotman.

* * * * *

Philip Slotman, of all living people! She stared at him in amaze, almost
doubting the evidence of her sight. What did he here? How dared he come
here and thrust himself on her notice? How dared he send that lying
message by the maid, that she might not recognise his name?

"You've got a nice place here, Joan," he said with easy familiarity.
"Things have looked up a bit for you, eh? I notice you haven't said you
are glad to see me. Aren't you going to shake hands?"

"Explain," she said quietly, "what you mean by coming here."

If she had given way to senseless rage, and had demanded how he
dared--and so forth, he would have smiled with amusement; but the cool
deliberation of her, the quiet scorn in her eyes, the lack of passion,
made him nervous and a little uncomfortable.

"I came here to see you--what else, Joan?"