Page:Bailey - Call Mr Fortune (Dutton, 1921).djvu/272

Rh soul. I dare say it's something to her to know that her son is safe and making good—in spite of all the devilry."

"Something to her—of course it is!" said Miss Amber, and looked divine.

"There's that," said Reggie, watching her.

"You won't mind my saying professionally that you have been very useful. Miss Amber," said Lomas. "You have cleared up what was a very tiresome mystery. I was being bothered. That's a serious disturbance of the machinery of Empire." He succeeded, as he desired, in setting the conversation to a lighter tune. He made Miss Amber's eyes again merry. He did not prevent Reggie from looking at her. "You must promise me another opportunity to thank you," he said, as she was going.

"Dear me, I thought you had been doing nothing else," said she demurely, and looked at the table and made a face. "Oh, Mr. Fortune, what, what a tea! I leave all my reputation behind me. Men hate to see women eat, don't they? But do men always make teas like this?"

"I've a simple mind. I live the simple life."

She looked at him fairly. "You said simple. Do you know how I feel? I feel as if I hadn't a secret left all my own," and she swept away. He was a long time gone letting her out.

"And that's that," Reggie said when he came back.