familiar to the dingy house whose soft-stone front had crumbled into a premature old age. Airey was on the third floor, front and back; two very large windows adorned his sitting-room—it was necessary to give all encouragement and opportunity to any light that found its way into the gloomy cul-de-sac. Many an afternoon Peggy sat by one of these windows in a dilapidated wicker arm-chair, watching the typewriting clerk visible through the corresponding big window opposite. Sometimes Airey talked, oftener he went on with his work as though she were not there; she liked this inattention as a change. But she was a little puzzled over that work of his. He had told her that he was an inventor. So far she was content, and when she saw him busy with models or working out sums she concluded that he was at his trade. It did not appear to be a good trade, for he was shabby, the room was shabbier, and (as has been mentioned) he did not, so far as her observation went, dine. But probably it kept him happy; she had always pictured inventors as blissful although poverty-stricken persons. The work-table then, a big deal one which blocked the other window, was intelligible enough. The mystery lay in the small table on the right hand of the fireplace; under it stood a Chubb's safe, and on it reposed a large book covered in red leather and fastened with a padlock. She had never seen either book or safe open, and when she had asked what was in them, Airey told her a little story about a Spartan who was carrying something under his cloak—a mode of retort which rather annoyed her. So she inquired no more. But she was sure that the locks were unfastened when she was gone. What was there? Was he writing a great book? Or did he own ancestral plate? Or precious—and perhaps scandalous—documents? Something precious there must be; the handsomeness of the book, the high polish by which the metal of the safe shamed the surrounding dustiness, stood out sure signs and proofs of that.
Peggy had just bought a new frock—and paid for it under some pressure—and a cheque had not come for ever so long; so she ate bread-and-butter steadily and happily, interrupting herself only to pour out more tea. At last Airey pushed away his papers and models, saying, 'That's done, thank heaven!' and got up to light his pipe. Peggy poured out a cup of tea for him, and he came across the room for it. He looked much as when he had met Trix Trevalla in Paris, but his hair was shorter and his beard trimmed close and cut to a point; these improvements were due to Peggy's reiterated entreaties.
'Well?' he asked, standing before her, his eyes twinkling kindly.
'Times are hard, but the heart is light, Airey. I've been immortalised in a sonnet——'
'Dissected in an essay too?' he suggested with ironical admiration.
'I don't recognise myself there. And I've had an offer——'
'Another?'
'Not that sort—an offer of a riding-horse. But I haven't got a habit.'
'Nor a stable perhaps?'
'No, nor a stable. I didn't think of that. And you, Airey?'
'Barring the horse, and the sonnet, and the essay, I'm much as you are, Peggy.'
She threw her head back a little and looked at him; her tone, while curious, was also slightly compassionate.
'I suppose you get some money for your things sometimes?' she asked. 'I mean, when you invent a—a—well, say a corkscrew, they give you something?'
'Of course. I make my living that way. He smiled faintly at the involuntary glance from Peggy's eyes that played round the room. 'Yesterday's again!' he exclaimed suddenly, taking up the loaf. 'I told Mrs. Stryver I wouldn't have a yesterday's!' His tone was indignant; he seemed anxious to vindicate himself.
'It won't be to-morrow's, anyhow,' laughed Peggy, regarding the remaining and much diminished fragment in his hand. 'It wasn't badly stale.'
Airey took his pipe out of his mouth and spoke with the abruptness of a man who has just made up his mind to speak.
'Do you know a Mrs. Trevalla?' he asked.
'Oh, yes; by sight very well.'
'How does she strike you?'
'Well—certainly pretty; probably clever; perhaps—— Is she a friend of yours?'
'I've known about her a long while and met her once.'
'Once! Well, then, perhaps unscrupulous.'
'Why do you think she's unscrupulous?'
'Why do you ask me about her?' retorted Peggy.
'She's written to me, proposing to come and see me.'
'Have you asked her? I can't have you having a lot of visitors, you know. I come here for quiet.'
Airey looked a little embarrassed. 'Well, I did give her a sort of general invitation,' he murmured, fingering his beard. 'That is, I told her to come if—if she was in any difficulty.' He turned an appealing glance towards Peggy's amused face. 'Have you heard of her being in any difficulty?'
'No; but I should think it's not at all unlikely.'
'Why?'
'Have you ever had two people in love with you at the same time?'
'Never, on my honour,' said Airey with obvious sincerity.
'If you had, and if you were as pleasant as you could be to both of them, and kept them going by turns, and got all you could out of both of them, and kept on like that for about two months——'
'Oh, that's how the land lies, is it?'
'Don't you think it possible you might be in a difficulty some day?'
'But, good heavens, that's not the sort of thing to bring to me!'
'Apparently Mrs. Trevalla thinks differently,' laughed Peggy. 'At least I can't think of any other difficulty she's likely to be in.'
Airey was obviously disturbed and displeased.
'If what you say is true,' he observed, 'she can't be a good sort of woman.'
'I suppose not.' Peggy's admission sounded rather reluctant.
'Who are the two men?'
'Lord Mervyn and Beaufort Chance.'
'M.P.'s, aren't they?'
'Among other things, Airey. Well, you can't tell her not to come, can you? After that sort of general invitation, you know.' Peggy's tone was satirical; she had rather strong views as to the way in which men made fools of themselves over women—or sometimes said she had.
'I was an old friend of her husband's.'
'Oh, you've nothing to apologise for. When does she want to come?'
'To-morrow. I say, oughtn't I to offer to go and call on her?'
'She'd think that very dull in comparison,' Peggy assured him. 'Let her come and sob out her trouble here.'
'You appear to be taking the matter in a flippant spirit, Peggy.'
'I don't think I'm going to be particularly sorry if Mrs. Trevalla is in a bit of a scrape.'
