He turned and strode away. Both Beatrice and Tavernake watched him until he disappeared. Then, with a sigh, she picked up her skirts with her right hand, and took Tavernake's arm.
“Do you mind walking home?” she asked. “My head aches.”
Tavernake looked for a moment wistfully across the road toward the Milan Court. Beatrice's hand, however, only held his arm the tighter.
“I am going to make you come with me every step of the way,” she declared, “so you can just as well make the best of it. Afterwards—”
“What about afterwards?” he interrupted.
“Afterwards,” she continued, with decision, “you are to go straight home!”
CHAPTER XXI. SOME EXCELLENT ADVICE
Tavernake, in response to a somewhat urgent message, walked into his solicitor's office almost as soon as they opened on the following morning. The junior partner of the firm, who took an interest in him, and was anxious, indeed, to invest a small amount in the Marston Rise Building Company, received him cordially but with some concern.
“Look here, Tavernake,” he said, “I thought I'd better write a line and ask you to come down. You haven't forgotten, have you, that our option of purchase lasts only three days longer?”