“Do not be so foolish,” she said.  “Yes, of course.  You keep your share of the bargain and I mine.  At eight o’clock, then.  I will say no more now, as I am engaged with a visitor. Au revoir!”

She set down the receiver and turned towards Norgate, who was turning the pages of an illustrated paper.  She made a little grimace.

“Oh, but life is very queer!” she declared.  “How I love it!  Now I am going to make you look glum, if indeed you do care just that little bit which is all you know of caring.  Perhaps you will be a little disappointed.  Tell me that you are, or my vanity will be hurt.  Listen and prepare.  To-night I cannot dine with you.”

He turned deliberately around.  “You are going to throw me over?” he demanded, looking at her steadfastly.

“To throw you over, dear friend,” she repeated cheerfully.  “You would do just the same, if you were in my position.”

“It is an affair of duty,” he persisted, “or the triumph of a rival?”

She made a grimace at him.  “It is an affair of duty,” she admitted, “but it is certainly with a rival that I must dine.”

He moved a little nearer to her on the lounge.

“Tell me on your honour,” he said, “that you are not dining with Baring, and I will forgive!”

For a moment she seemed as though she were summoning all her courage to tell the lie which he half expected.  Instead she changed her mind.

“Do not be unkind,” she begged.  “I am dining with Captain Baring.  The poor man is distracted.  You know that I cannot bear to hurt people.  Be kind this once.  You may take my engagement book, you may fill it up as you will, but to-night I must dine with him.  Consider, my friend.  You may have many months before you in London.  Captain Baring finishes his work at the Admiralty to-day, and leaves for Portsmouth to-morrow morning.  He may not be in London again for some time.  I promised him long ago that I would dine with him to-night on one condition.  That condition he is keeping.  I cannot break my word.”

Norgate rose gloomily to his feet.

“Of course,” he said, “I don’t want to be unreasonable, and any one can see the poor fellow is head over ears in love with you.”

She took his arm as she led him towards the door.

“Listen,” she promised, laughing into his face, “when you are as much in love with me as he is, I will put off every other engagement I have in the world, and I will dine with you.  You understand?  We shall meet later at the club, I hope.  Until then, au revoir!”

Norgate hailed a taxi outside and was driven at once to the nearest telephone call office.  There, after some search in the directory, he rang up a number and enquired for Captain Baring.  There was a delay of about five minutes.  Then Baring spoke from the other end of the telephone.

“Who is it wants me?” he enquired, rather impatiently.