And she stepped into the taxi and drove away.
About this time Geoffrey Falconer was busy each evening in devising improvements in his new seven-valve amplifier, with the object of applying for a patent. In the world of wireless there were many rumours that Falconer’s improvement of the “saturation device” and other things would revolutionise the present method of the reception of wireless signals. What it exactly was only the clever young inventor himself knew. He had shown it to his father, and also to Sylvia, but they were not sufficiently acquainted with the mysteries of wireless to understand its true import.
So busy was Geoffrey, both at the Works at Chelmsford, and at his own home each evening, that during the fortnight that followed he only went to London once, to do business at Marconi House and afterwards to see Sylvia.
That evening, Mrs. Beverley being out of town, he took her daughter out to dinner at the Carlton, and afterwards to the theatre. During the entr’acte he left her in the stalls while he went out to smoke a cigarette. He chanced to be standing in the crowded lounge when suddenly he saw a young man named Hugh Carew, who had been a brother-officer with him in France. With him was a pretty, smartly-dressed girl with dark hair and wonderful eyes, and wearing a dress of emerald green.
Carew greeted his friend warmly, and then, turning to his companion, said:
“Let me introduce you to Mr. Falconer—Mademoiselle Juvanon.”
The girl started, held her breath, glanced furtively into Falconer’s face, and then expressed in French her great pleasure at meeting her companion’s brother-officer.
As for Geoffrey he said but little. After a few moments’ conversation, however, Carew excused himself, saying that he wanted to get a drink, and begged Falconer to look after the girl for a moment.
The instant he had gone to the bar, Falconer bent to the girl, and in a low, hard voice, said in French:
“When last I had the pleasure of meeting mademoiselle, both her nationality and her name were—well—slightly different—eh?”