abroad, I shall be even richer than usual. Still, please
don't think I'm not grateful!"

She got up too, and looked at him frankly. The
colour had now gone from his face, and he looked
tired and grey. She told herself that it _had_ been very
kind of him to have thought of this -- the act of a
true friend. And so, a little shyly, she put out her
hand for a moment, naturally supposing that he would
grasp it in friendship. But he did nothing of the
sort, so she quietly let her hand fall again by her side,
and feeling rather foolish sat down again by her
writing-table.

"With regard to the money you are expecting at
the end of this month -- do you mean the dividends due
on the amount you put in that Six Per Cent. Hamburg
Loan?" he asked, quietly going back to his armchair.

"Yes, it is six per cent. on four thousand pounds --
quite a lot of money!" She spoke in a playful tone,
but she was beginning to feel embarrassed and awkward.
It was, after all, an odd thing for Major
Guthrie to have done -- to bring her the considerable
sum of a hundred pounds in bank-notes without even
first asking her permission to do so.

The envelope containing the notes was still lying
there, close to her elbow.

"I'm afraid, Mrs. Otway, that you're not likely to
have those dividends paid you this August. All money
payments from Germany to England, or from England
to Germany, have of course stopped since
Wednesday."

And then, when he saw the look of utter dismay
deepening into horrified surprise come over her face,
he added hastily, "Of course we must hope that these

[[98]]

p097 _ -chap- _ toc-1 _ p098w _ toc-2 _ +chap+ _ p099

v?