“For home and tea,” was the answer.

“Let me give you some,” he urged, walking on by her side.

“No, thank you, Jimmy!”

“Carrissima,” he said, with a glance at her profile, “what in the world’s the matter?”

“Why, nothing, of course!”

“Oh yes, there’s something,” he insisted.  “I flatter myself I’m good at reading faces, you know, and yours is always interesting—­one never has to read between the lines.”

“Does that mean I wear my heart on my sleeve?” she demanded.

“Naturally you fancy you’re inscrutable,” said Jimmy, with a laugh.  “We all do.  Come now, suppose you tell me what it is!”

“What would be the use—­if there were anything?”

“You might enable me to do you a good turn!  If I couldn’t cure your woe I could possibly make you forget it.  Besides, people do tell me things.  You would be astonished to hear what confidences are poured into my ears.”

“Is that because you’re sympathetic, or simply because you’re rich?” suggested Carrissima.

“What’s that you’re carrying?” he asked, with a shrug.

“A card-case,” she replied.

“May I look?” he said, holding out his hand.  After a momentary hesitation she let him take it, whereupon he had no scruple about opening the box.  “Hullo! who is B. R.?” he demanded.

“Nobody you know, Jimmy!”

“Bridget Rosser!” he exclaimed.  “You see what a memory I have.  Is to-day any special occasion?”

“Her birthday,” said Carrissima.

“How old is she?”

“Twenty-three!”

“What a delectable age!  The same as your own.  But if you’re taking Miss Rosser a present,” he added, “how is it you are on the way home?”

“Jimmy, you make me tired,” said Carrissima.  “I wish you wouldn’t ask so many questions.”

“I can’t help it,” he replied.  “An inquiring turn of mind, you know.  I haven’t forgotten that Sybil is to pay your friend a visit directly she gets back.”

“Indeed, there is not the slightest necessity,” said Carrissima.

“Hullo! so you’ve changed your mind?”

“I suppose that is allowable.”

“Where does she live?” Jimmy persisted.

“Wild horses wouldn’t drag her address from me!” cried Carrissima, laughing quite cheerfully, “and kindly give me back the card-case.”

He came to a standstill close to Colonel Faversham’s house as he put it back in her hand.

“Now, I’m off,” he said.  “That’s all I was waiting for.”

“What?” asked Carrissima.

“To hear you laugh again.”

“Jimmy,” she said, “I sometimes wonder whether your inveterate cheerfulness is the sign of a shallow mind!”

“Oh well, you see, it’s one of the few useful things I can do,” he answered.  “To swing a light about.”

“Still, it isn’t always safe to go full speed ahead,” she suggested.