head nor tail. Once a month a registered letter arrived,
sometimes from Holland, sometimes from Brussels,
for Manfred; and it had gradually become clear
to her that it was these letters which he kept in the
safe.

There came a loud impatient knock at the door. She
started guiltily.

"Open!" cried her husband imperiously. "Open,
Polly, at once! I have already forbidden you to lock
the door."

But she knew by the tone of his voice that he was
no longer really angry with her. So, walking rather
slowly, she went across and unlocked the door.

She stepped back quickly -- the door opened, and a
moment later she was in her husband's arms, and he
was kissing her.

"Well, little one! You're good now, eh? Does my
little sugar lamb want a treat?"

Polly knew that when he called her his little sugar
lamb it meant that he was in high good-humour.

"It won't be much of a treat to stay at home and
do the civil to that old Mrs. Bauer," she said, and
looked up at him coquettishly.

There were good points about Manfred. When he
was good-tempered, as he seemed to be just now, it
generally meant that there would be a present for her
coming along. And sure enough he pulled a little
box out of one of his bulging pockets.

"Here's a present for my little lollipop," he said.

Eagerly she opened the box; but though she exclaimed
"It's very pretty!" she really felt a good deal
disappointed. For it was only a queer, old-fashioned

[[136]]

p135 _ -chap- _ toc-1 _ p136w _ toc-2 _ +chap+ _ p137

v?