‘You asked what Miss Le Mesurier was like.  There’s your answer.’

Drake glanced in that direction.  He saw a girl in a dress of pink silk, standing in the front of the box, with her hands upon the ledge and leaning her head a little forwards beyond it.  The glare striking up from the stage beneath her gave a burnish of copper to her hair and a warm light to her face.  She seemed of a fragile figure and with features regular and delicate.  Drake received a notion of unimpressive prettiness and turned his attention to the stage.  When the lights were raised again in the auditorium, he noticed that Fielding was in the box talking to a gentleman with white hair, and that Mallinson was seated by the side of Miss Le Mesurier.  The latter couple were gazing about the house and apparently discussing the audience,—­at all events conversing with considerable animation.  Drake commented upon their manner and drew the conventional inference.

‘Oh dear, no!’ answered Conway energetically.  ’Of course Mallinson’s aim is apparent enough, poor fellow.’  A touch of scorn in the voice, which rang false, negatived the pity of the phrase.  ’But I don’t suppose for an instant that she has realised it.  She would be the last to do so.  No, she has a fad in her head about authors just for the moment.’

‘Oh!’ said Drake, turning with some interest to his companion.  ’Does that account for A Man of Influence?’

‘Yes,’ replied Conway reluctantly, ‘I fancy it does.’

‘I wondered what set him to writing.’

’He was at the Bar when he met her.  I believe she persuaded him to write the book and give up the Law.’

‘She is undertaking a pretty heavy responsibility.’

Conway looked at his friend and laughed.

’I’m afraid you won’t find that she takes that view, nor indeed do I see why she should.  Mallinson was doing no good—­well, not much anyway—­at the Bar.  He has scored by following her advice.  So if she ever had any responsibility, which I don’t admit, for there was no compulsion on him to obey, his luck has already wiped it out.’

‘I suppose the white-haired man’s her father,’ said Drake.

‘Yes.  There’s another sister, but she’s at school in Brussels.’

‘How did you come across them?’

’Mallinson and I met them one summer when we were taking a holiday at Sark.’

Drake caught the eye of a man who was passing the end of his row of stalls towards the saloon, and was beckoned out.

‘I will join you after the interval,’ he said, turning to Conway, and he saw that his companion was bowing to Miss Le Mesurier.

Miss Le Mesurier in her box noticed Drake’s movement, and she asked Mallinson, ‘Who is that speaking to Mr. Conway?’

Mallinson put up his glasses and looked.  Clarice read recognition in a lift of eyebrows, and guessed from his hesitation to answer who it was that he recognised.