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Well then?"

Tuppence merely continued to shake her head violently.

You can't reasonably expect more dollars than I've got."

Oh, it isn't that," gasped Tuppence with an almost hysterical laugh. "But

thanking you very much, and all that, I think I'd better say no."

I'd be obliged if you'd do me the favour to think it over until to-morrow."

It's no use."

Still, I guess we'll leave it like that."

Very well," said Tuppence meekly.

Neither of them spoke again until they reached the Ritz.

Tuppence went upstairs to her room. She felt morally battered to the ground after

her conflict with Julius's vigorous personality. Sitting down in front of the glass,

she stared at her own reflection for some minutes.

"Fool," murmured Tuppence at length, making a grimace. "Little fool. Everything

you want--everything you've ever hoped for, and you go and bleat out 'no' like an

idiotic little sheep. It's your one chance. Why don't you take it? Grab it? Snatch at

it? What more do you want?"

As if in answer to her own question, her eyes fell on a small snapshot of Tommy

that stood on her dressing-table in a shabby frame. For a moment she struggled

for self-control, and then abandoning all presence, she held it to her lips and

burst into a fit of sobbing.

Oh, Tommy, Tommy," she cried, "I do love you so--and I may never see you

again...."

At the end of five minutes Tuppence sat up, blew her nose, and pushed back her

hair.

That's that," she observed sternly. "Let's look facts in the face. I seem to have

fallen in love--with an idiot of a boy who probably doesn't care two straws about

me." Here she paused. "Anyway," she resumed, as though arguing with an

136

The Secret Adversary