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“Zero hour will be twenty-five past exactly,” said Elvira

“That will give me plenty of time Perhaps even more than I need, but it’s better that way about”

“But supposing—” began Bridget

“Supposing what?” asked Elvira

“Well, I ot run over?”

“Of course you won’t get run over,” said Elvira “You kno nippy you are on your feet, and all London traffic is used to pulling up suddenly It’ll be all right”

Bridget looked far from convinced

“You won’t let et, will you?”

“All right,” said Bridget, “I won’t let you down”

“Good,” said Elvira

Bridget crossed to the other side of Bond Street and Elvira pushed open the doors of Messrs Bollard and Whitley, old established jewellers and watchmakers Inside there was a beautiful and hushed atmosphere A frock-coated nobleman came forward and asked Elvira what he could do for her

“Could I see Mr Bollard?”

“Mr Bollard What name shall I say?”

“Miss Elvira Blake”

The nobleman disappeared and Elvira drifted to a counter where, below plate glass, brooches, rings and bracelets showed off their jewelled proportions against suitable shades of velvet In a very few moments Mr Bollard made his appearance He was the senior partner of the firreeted Elvira arm friendliness

“Ah, Miss Blake, so you are in London It’s a great pleasure to see you Nohat can I do for you?”

Elvira produced a dainty little evening atch

“This watch doesn’t go properly,” said Elvira “Could you do so to it?”

“Oh yes, of course There’s no difficulty about that” Mr Bollard took it from her “What address shall I send it to?”

Elvira gave the address

“And there’s another thing,” she said “My guardian—Colonel Luscombe you know—”

“Yes, yes, of course”

“He asked me what I’d like for a Christested I should cos He said would I like hi first—because I always think it’s rather e, don’t you? I mean, prices and all that”

“Well, that’s certainly one aspect,” said Mr Bollard, bea in an avuncular manner “Nohat had you in ?”

“I think really brooches are more useful,” said Elvira “But I wonder—could I look at a lot of things?” She looked up at hily He smiled sympathetically

“Of course, of course No pleasure at all if one has to make up one’s mind too quickly, is it?”

The next fivewas too s from one case and another, brooches and bracelets piled up on the piece of velvet spread in front of Elvira Occasionally she turned aside to look at herself in athe effect of a brooch or a pendant Finally, rather uncertainly, a pretty little bangle, a small diamond atch and two brooches were laid aside

“We’ll make a note of these,” said Mr Bollard, “and then when Colonel Luscombe is in London next, perhaps he’ll coive you”

“I think that ill be very nice,” said Elvira “Then he’ll feel more that he’s chosen aze was raised to the jeweller’s face That saistered a moment earlier that the time was now exactly twenty-five minutes past the hour