Eve seemed about to walk away, but she hesitated and turned again.

“I will do as you wish—­I will go.”

“Excellent!  Then speak of it to Patty as soon as possible, and tell me what she says when we meet to-morrow—­where and when you like.”

“In this same place, at nine o’clock.”

“So be it.  I will bring the cheque.”

“But I must be able to cash it at once.”

“So you can.  It will be on a London bank.  I’ll get the cash myself if you like.”

Then they shook hands and went in opposite directions.

CHAPTER XIII

On the evening of the next day, just after he had lit his lamp, Hilliard’s attention was drawn by a sound as of someone tapping at the window.  He stood to listen, and the sound was repeated—­an unmistakable tap of fingers on the glass.  In a moment he was out in the street, where he discovered Patty Ringrose.

“Why didn’t you come to see me?” she asked excitedly.

“I was afraid she might be there.  Did she go to business, as usual?”

“Yes.  At least I suppose so.  She only got home at the usual time.  I’ve left her there:  I was bound to see you.  Do you know what she told me last night when she came in?”

“I dare say I could guess.”

Hilliard began to walk down the street.  Patty, keeping close at his side, regarded him with glances of wonder.

“Is it true that we’re going to Paris?  I couldn’t make out whether she meant it, and this morning I couldn’t get a word from her.”

“Are you willing to go with her?”

“And have all my expenses paid?”

“Of course.”

“I should think I am!  But I daren’t let my uncle and aunt know; there’d be no end of bother.  I shall have to make up some sort of tale to satisfy my aunt, and get my things sent to the station while uncle’s playing billiards.  How long is it for?”

“Impossible to say.  Three months—­half a year—­I don’t know.  What about Mr. Daily?”

“Oh, I’ve done with him!”

“And you are perfectly sure that you can get employment whenever you need it?”

“Quite sure:  no need to trouble about that.  I’m very good friends with aunt, and she’ll take me in for as long as I want when I come back.  But it’s easy enough for anybody like me to get a place.  I’ve had two or three offers the last half-year, from good shops where they were losing their young ladies.  We’re always getting married, in our business, and places have to be filled up.”

“That settles it, then.”

“But I want to know—­I can’t make it out—­Eve won’t tell me how she’s managing to go.  Are you going to pay for her?”

“We won’t talk of that, Patty.  She’s going; that’s enough.”

“You persuaded her, last night?”

“Yes, I persuaded her.  And I am to hear by the first post in the morning whether she will go to-morrow or Thursday.  She’ll arrange things with you to-night, I should think.”