He pulled a wry face at himself in the opposite mirror and shrugged his shoulders. Down the 'phone he said with excessive amiability, "Nothing. I'm top-hole. How are you feeling?"
Her answer came back like a flash, "Vulgar and not very safe." It was followed by a gurgle of merriment.
"I'm not sure that I understand your symptoms."
The gurgle was repeated. "You wouldn't. Lord Taborley never feels vulgar and he's always safe.
But this is one of my vulgar days, when I'm not to be trusted. I always have one when Di has been to visit me; it's the relapse after contact with too high standards of respectability. I'm liable to do anything. I married Gervis and Lockwood after being with her. I shall break out to-day if you don't come at once and stop me. Unless—unless you don't want to stop me and would prefer the experiment of being vulgar together."
"The prospect sounds alluring." He was trying to let her down lightly. "But I'm afraid I have too many engagements on hand."
"Oh!" It was the oh of disappointment. When she spoke again her gay irresponsibility had vanished and a coaxing quality had come into her voice. "I know you've only just got home from being with me—I mean comparatively speaking. I don't want to make myself a burden to you, but—— It's such a jolly day. Have you been up long enough to look out of the window? I thought we could go off somewhere—to the Zoo, perhaps, and drink lemonade all among the monkeys and the nuts. I woke up planning it. We'd limit our spending money to five shillings like kiddies, and do all our riding on busses. Doesn't that sound jolly?"
"Immensely," he agreed; "but I'm afraid no amount of jolliness could tempt——"
She broke in on him. "It's the kind of thing I used to do with Adair."
The meaning of this last remark was plain; she was reminding him that if the pair of shoes vacated by Adair were to remain vacated, he must pay the