An idea had taken root in his mind, and he was not the man to waste time in putting any project into execution. Mrs. Gertstein had barely had time to begin to repair the ravages of her toilet with the help of Sophie Lengholm ere he sent for her. She came into the room he called his study, a little defiantly, a little frightened. He motioned her to a chair.

“We’re too old friends to quarrel, Adèle,” he began in his silken modulated voice. “I want to apologise for the way in which I spoke to you just now. It was unforgivable.”

She stretched out a small shoe and contemplated it with a smile. One could almost have said that she was purring. “That’s all right, Larry. I was an ungrateful little fool. I was a little strung up.”

She looked sideways at him, and he stroked his lip with his hand to hide a smile. Even at this juncture in her affairs she could not resist the opportunity to attempt to flirt.