"Well!" And Harrington turned to go--"I hope Miss Armitage will
also express herself as perfectly satisfied after I have seen her!
I shall write and ask permission to call--"

"Surely"--and the publisher looked distressed--"surely you do not
intend to trouble this poor girl by questions concerning her
employer? It's hardly fair to her!--and of course it's only your
way of joking, but your idea that she wrote the book we're all
talking about is simply absurd! She couldn't do it! When you see
her, you'll understand."

"I daresay I shall!" And Harrington smiled-"Don't you worry! I'm
too old a hand to get myself or anybody else into trouble! But
I'll wager you anything that your simple school-girl is the
author!"

He went back then and there to the office of his big newspaper and
wrote a guarded little note as follows:--

"DEAR MISS ARMITAGE,

I wonder if you remember a grumpy old fellow who travelled with
you on your first journey to London rather more than a year ago?
You never told me your name, but I kept a note of the address you
gave through me to your taxi-driver, and through that address I
have just by chance heard that you and the Miss Armitage who
corrected the proofs of a wonderful book recently published are
one and the same person. May I call and see you? Yours sincerely,

JOHN HARRINGTON."