THEY GO HOME 583

ing her eyes fixed on him.

"Good. I'm glad to hear it. I like to hear of anybody
enjoying themselves, and specially you, Miss Verever,"

There was something very extraordinary about this,
but Miss Verever did not care to stop and investigate it.
She began saying good night. Mrs. Dersingham said that
they must go too, but Mr, Dersingham refused to stir, so
Miss Verever left by herself, though Mrs. Dersingham
accompanied her down the stairs,

"How&rd doesn't seem to be very well to-night, does
he?" said Miss Verever, when they reached the hall be-
low, in the Dersingham half of the building.

"He's tired, that's all. I don't think he's very well.
He's been working tremendously hard. It's terribly
tiring working late like this down in the City/'

"I suppose it is." And it would be impossible to
cram a larger amount of dubiety into four words than
Miss Verever did into those four.

"Of course it is," cried Mrs. Dersingham, a trifle im-
patiently. "You just try it and see/'

"Why, have you tried it, my dear? If you have, it's
news to me. However, I hope Howard's better soon. He
shouldn't tire himself out like that. It must be very bad
for him. Don't you think so? Well, it was very nice of
you to ask me to make the four up and play with Mrs
Pearson. Good-bye, my dear."

Mrs, Dersingham hurried back to the Pearsons,
slightly alarmed and considerably annoyed. It looked
as if Howard had not been kept late at the office at all,
but had sneaked off to his club, where he had had more
drinks than were good for him. There was always just
a little, a little, danger of that with Howard, She found
him sitting with his legs stretched out straight in front