'Just a cup of coffee, please. I've no appetite this morning, and I
want to catch a train for Victoria as soon as possible.'

'When will you be back?'

'Oh, I don't quite know. To tea, I think.'

The girl had all at once grown reticent, and her lips showed the
less amiable possibilities of their contour.



CHAPTER III


At dinner-time she had not returned. It being Saturday, Mumford was
back early in the afternoon, and Miss Derrick's absence caused no
grief. Emmeline could play with baby in the garden, whilst her
husband smoked his pipe and looked on in the old comfortable way.
They already felt that domestic life was not quite the same with a
stranger to share it. Doubtless they would get used to the new
restraints; but Miss Derrick must not expect them to disorganise
their mealtimes on her account. Promptly at half-past seven they sat
down to dine, and had just risen from the table, when Louise
appeared.

She was in excellent spirits, without a trace of the morning's
ill-humour. No apologies! If she didn't feel quite free to come and
go, without putting people out, there would be no comfort in life. A
slice of the joint, that was all she wanted, and she would have done