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What lay at the bottoe reluctance to enjoy Chloe's hospitality he had not the faintest notion He had no special aversion toher brother, nor was he in any way reluctant to improve his acquaintance with Iris Wayne Did his heart, indeed, beat just a shade faster at the thought ofseemed to whisper that this invitation was disastrous, that it would set in train events whichin their sequence

He tried, vainly, to banish the faint premonition of evil which had fallen upon him when he realized it was too late to recall his acceptance Throughout the day it persisted, and when at length he went to his roo inclination to excuse hient call to whose importance he could not turn a deaf ear

Such an excuse would, he knew, pass h A doctor can rarely be depended upon, socially, and when he was dressed he went downstairs with the intention of ringing up Cherry Orchard and regretting his inability to ht

Yet at the last her Power of which we know too little to speak with any familiarity, intervened to restrain his impulse, and with a muttered imprecation at his own unusual vacillation he turned away fro car i at Cherry Orchard, the elderly manservant relieved him of his coat with a deferential slanced at the grandfather clock in the corner "Or perhaps your clock's a bit forward"

"I daresay it is, sir" Hagyard accepted the suggestion ell-trained alacrity "Miss Wayne has only been here a moment or two"

He threw open the door as he spoke and Anstice entered the drawing-roo upon him

Yet the room, with its shaded lamps, s twilight, looked peaceful enough As usual there were masses of flowers about, tulips, narcissi, anerant as Anstice went forward to greet his hostess, who stood by one of the caseuests beside her

She came towards him with her usual slow step, which never, for all its deliberation, suggested the languor of ill-health; and as he began to apologize for his late arrival she sies

"You're not really late, Dr Anstice, and in any case we should have given you a few race"