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 carriage. She jumped in gaily and settled herself.

"I've fixed it," she announced, with childish delight.

Valdeck looked his thanks, and called to the driver, who awaited instructions. "To Gagano's." Philippa started. "Oh!" she asked, "do you think that's quite safe?"

He nodded. "Quite. We'll have a private room, and I'll manage it so you won't be seen."

The hansom rattled on, taking, by his direction, an unfashionable, smaller vein in the city's system of circulation, in preference to the greater and more frequented arteries. Philippa had by this time turned to her muttons with intent to shear to the very last thread of wool. Curiosity stalked hungry through her mind.

"Do tell me what was wrong. It troubles me to see you troubled, and we must get it over with; otherwise it will lie between us and make us both uncomfortable."

He was not ready to divulge, and turned to his love for her and descriptions of her loveliness 143