"You look ripping," said Colin, eyeing her with frank approval. "I'm longing to see old Mark's face when he hears you're his new secretary."
"Well, it's more than I am," remarked Nancy.
She paused for a second or two to make a final inspection of herself in the looking glass, and then, following her guest out on to the landing, closed and locked the door behind her.
They descended the staircase and were just emerging into the street when a big white Daimler swung into view round the corner of the King's Road.
Nancy uttered a little exclamation which sounded like one of annoyance, but before she could speak the driver turned in toward the pavement and drew up alongside of them. He proved to be a tall, clean-shaven, middle-aged man, with rather dissipated blue eyes.
"Hullo, young lady," he said, raising his hat, "where are you off to? I was coming along to take you out for a drive."
Nancy acknowledged his greeting without any apparent enthusiasm.
"It was very kind of you," she replied, "but I am afraid I can't manage it to-day. I have promised to go out to tea with some friends of Doctor Gray's." She paused for a moment, and then glanced hesitatingly from one to the other of them. "Let me introduce you," she added. "Doctor Gray—Major Fenton."
The two men nodded to each other.
"It will do you much more good to come for a spin," persisted the new arrival. "Besides, I understood that we more or less fixed it up last Thursday."