“‘Crude.’” he said slowly, thinking.

“Oh!” Elizabeth frowned a little, and turned away. Stephen’s voice followed her.

“It ought to be ‘coarse.’ Of course it ought. Thanks for pointing it out, ’Lisbeth.”

“‘Crude’ doesn’t seem to be quite the word you want,” she said apologetically.

“Not a bit. Change it, will you?”

The characters in the book became alive to her. She remembered the impatience she had felt when Stephen and Nina had talked of Norman as though he were a personal friend. She had learned to talk in just the same way about Colin Cardew, the impossible detective whose adventures she had typed out on paper. Miss Arden had thought it silly; Elizabeth saw now that it wasn’t silly at all, but quite natural.

It was she who first spoke of Stephen’s book in this fashion; he was careful never to speak of it, for fear of boring her.

“When’s Frances coming back from Egypt?” she asked, one day at lunch.

Surprise and gratification leaped into Stephen’s eyes.

“Oh, do you miss her?”

“Yes, quite. I’m fond of Frances.”

“I’ll bring her back at once,” Stephen said. “What do you think of Davison?”

Her eyes fell; she toyed with her glass.

“Oh—I don’t care about him much.”

“Untrue to life?”

“No.” Of impulse she added, “Too true. I—I recognise Charles.”

“If that’s so, ’Lisbeth, it happened without my knowing it. He isn’t meant to be Charles.”

“I’m glad he isn’t,” Elizabeth said simply.

Lady Ribblemere came to see her one afternoon, and made a determined effort to break into the library. Elizabeth managed to keep her out for some time, but before she took her departure Lady Ribblemere insisted on seeing Stephen.

“He—he hates to be disturbed when he’s at work,” Elizabeth said, thinking how rude it sounded. “I—simply daren’t—let you in!”

Lady Ribblemere tapped her playfully upon the arm with her lorgnettes.

“What a stern guardian! I’ve known dear Stephen since he was a baby, my dear. I always think that makes such a difference. I shall certainly not disturb him, but I do not think he will mind seeing such an old friend for a few minutes.”

With a quaking heart Elizabeth followed her to the library.

The first thing Stephen saw was Lady Ribblemere’s massive person. Then, over her ladyship’s shoulder he caught sight of Elizabeth’s face, which said plainly, I’m very sorry, and I know you hate it, but I couldn’t help it.

If Elizabeth had looked as though she thought he ought to like Lady Ribblemere’s invasion he would have been furious, just as he had been on the occasion of Lady Ribblemere’s first call. But Elizabeth looked horrified, and rather frightened. That amused him, and he smiled.

When Lady Ribblemere had gone (she stayed for half-an-hour), Elizabeth said, in a hurry,