"You will certainly come back, then?"

"Most certainly. Mrs. Vivian is to be here another month."

"I understand. Well, we shall miss you very much."

Gordon Wright looked for a moment at his companion.

"You will stay here, then? I am so glad of that."

"I was taking it for granted; but on reflection--what do you recommend?"

"I recommend you to stay."

"My dear fellow, your word is law," said Bernard.

"I want you to take care of those ladies," his friend went on. "I don't
like to leave them alone."

"You are joking!" cried Bernard. "When did you ever hear of my 'taking
care' of any one? It 's as much as I can do to take care of myself."

"This is very easy," said Gordon. "I simply want to feel that they have
a man about them."

"They will have a man at any rate--they have the devoted Lovelock."

"That 's just why I want them to have another. He has only an eye to
Miss Evers, who, by the way, is extremely bored with him. You look after
the others. You have made yourself very agreeable to them, and they like