432 ANGEL PAVEMENT

if you hadn't said you'd come with me. If you want to
know my opinion, we've had a good Old Year's Night,
We've got to see more of each other/'

"Oh, have we?" She was in no condition to be
femininely cool and mocking, but she did her best.

"Yes, of course we have," he replied coolly. "You're
the sort of girl I like, and I don't often find one."

"Thank you for the compliment," she said, and was
instantly annoyed with herself for sounding so feeble.

"Well, Miss Matfield—oh, damn it, I can't keep call-
ing you Miss Matfield, not out of the office, anyhow.
What's your other name?"

"Lilian," she replied in a tiny voice.

"That's good—Lilian. Well, Lilian, now that we're
out of that monkey house in there, with everybody
snatching and pecking at each other, I can wish you a
proper Happy New Year." And, saying no more, he
.swept her to him, kissed her several times, and held her
close, so close that she could hardly breathe.

She could not have described it as being either
pleasant or unpleasant. It was not an experience that
could fall into such easy categories. It could not be
tasted, examined, reported on, like most of Miss
Matfield's experiences. If it belonged anywhere, it
belonged to the fire, flood and earthquake department.
Her quickening blood faced and replied to this huge
masculine onslaught, but the rest of her was simply
dazed and shaken.

"There's our taxi," he said, breathing hard, but other-
wise cool enough. "What's the address?"

Inside the taxi, she suddenly felt very tired and quite
disinclined to talk. She drooped, leaned against him,
and could only repeat to herself that it was all quite