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 is a colleague of mine at St. Luke’s; and he will cut out your appendix in a shorter time than any man alive.”

Arbuthnot rattled on. He did not notice that Arthur had grown ghastly pale and that Margaret was blank with consternation. Haddo, his heavy face wreathed with smiles, stepped forward heartily. He seemed thoroughly to enjoy the situation.

“Mr. Burdon is an old friend of ours,” he said. “In fact, it was he who introduced me to my wife. And Miss Boyd and I have discussed Art and the Immortality of the Soul with the gravity due to such topics.”

He held out his hand, and Susie took it. She had a horror of scenes, and, though this encounter was as unexpected as it was disagreeable, she felt it needful to behave naturally. She shook hands with Margaret.

“How disappointing!” cried their host. “I was hoping to give Miss Boyd something quite new in the way of magicians, and behold! she knows all about him.”

“If she did I’m quite sure she wouldn’t speak to me,” said Oliver, with a bantering smile.

They went into the supper-room.

“Now, how shall we sit?” said Arbuthnot, glancing round the table.

Oliver looked at Arthur, and his eyes twinkled.

“You must really let my wife and Mr. Burdon be together. They haven’t seen one another for so long that I’m sure they have no end of things to talk about.” He chuckled to himself. “And pray