"No, no!" broke in his hostess anxiously. "I am sure she wouldn't come
if you did. Besides--"

"Oh, as to that," said Vivian Caryl, with a grim smile, "I think, with
all deference to your opinion, that the odds would be in my favour.
However, let us dine first, if you prefer it."

Mrs. Abingdon did prefer it, and said so hastily. She seemed to have a
morbid dread of a rupture between Doris Fielding and her _fiancé_, a
feeling with which Caryl quite obviously had no sympathy. There was
nothing very remarkable about the man save this somewhat supercilious
demeanour which had caused Vera to marvel many times at Doris's choice.

They went in to dinner without further discussion. Caryl sat on Vera's
left, and amazed her by his utter unconcern regarding the absentee. He
seemed to be in excellent spirits, and his dry humour provoked a good
deal of merriment.

She led the way back to the drawing-room as soon as possible. There was
a billiard-room beyond to which the members of her party speedily betook
themselves, and here most of the men joined them soon after. Neither
Caryl nor Abingdon was with them, and Vera counted the minutes of their
absence with a sinking heart while her guests buzzed all unheeding
around her.

It was close upon ten o'clock when she saw her husband's face for a
moment in the doorway. He made a rapid sign to her, and with a murmured
excuse she went to him, closing the door behind her.