\! vi i-\: \;;r : N :•: r \ \ r \* ::r

lie V.V.J havin;: a cocktail unh l'hnrl-:> ir, i;:e
library *od thcv were talking to^th^r ..i* th":27n
they v.csx* old friends. Shelve;-, a5 sh? ;rr;$'<;.]
the hall that she ou^ht to have dune sr;mcrh:n£
to stop this, but she hadn't known or:*- T,,-
dn. The tide seemed to be carrying thvn: l,,-':h
alone*.

"" Never niincl," she told herself, *fc It must end.
After all, he has to gu back to Bombay in seven
weeks' time. That isn't long enough for anything
to happen."

But she had made a sad miscalculation of
human emotions!

She heard Charles say as she reached out her
hand to open the door:

"I'm so pleased for Doreen to have a friend
her own age. She has been too much with old
people. That convent, you know, awfully worthy
and all that, but very old. And now having mar*
ried an old fogey!"

" Nonsense, nonsense!"

" Well, I'm old enough to be her father, and
the girl needs youth. I'm very pleased to wel-
come you here/

She hadn't realised that she was actually listen-
ing at the door, listening with some horror. Was
Charles doing this on purpose? She went in.

The only person really at ease through that
dinner was Charles himself, and he was gay and
happy and cheerful over things. He di^l not
realise that anything was amiss. Dorecn was
looking very beautiful, disturbingly so. Peter
found, and he could not refrain from looking
at hen Dortea was conscious of her power,