He gripped the New Statesman tightly, and began to think of Sir Giles at Ealing. But the notion of introducing Sir Giles offended him; so, almost as much, did the thought of Reginald Montague, and he was content at last to make an image, as near as possible, of the room from which he had 'Come, with the thought of his secretary attached to it. "My dear child," Lord Arglay said unconsciously, and shut his eyes.

When, after a similar play of feeling to that which he had experienced before, he opened them to see Reginald Montague in front of him there flashed across his mind the idea that the Crown had somehow muddled things. But it was gone as he came to himself and recognized that he had indeed returned. He looked at his watch; the whole episode had taken exactly five minutes. He sat for a minute, then he got up, walked across to Chloe and gave her the paper. "Yours, I think, Miss Burnett? I'm sorry to give you the trouble of carrying it back," he said, and wondered whether he had only imagined the look of relief in her eyes. "Well," he went on to the other two, "it seems you're quite right. I don't know what happens or how, but if this sort of thing can go on indefinitely, space doesn't exist-for purposes of travel."

"You see it?" Reginald cried out.

"Certainly I see it," Lord Arglay answered. "It's a little startling at first and I want to know several more things, but they can wait. At the moment I have enough to brood on. But We're forgetting our duty. Miss Burnett, wouldn't you like to try the ... to put on the Crown of Suleiman?"

"No," said Chloe. "No, thank you, Lord Arglay. Thank you all very much, but I think I had better go."

"Go-at once?" Arglay asked, "But give me a few more minutes and we'll all go back together."

"I shouldn't press Miss Burnett to stop if she wants to go," Sir Giles said. "The station is about the fourth turning on the right."

"Thank you, Sir Giles," Chloe answered him. "Thank you for showing me the-the Crown. Good night, Mr. Montague. Good night, Lord Arglay."

"All right, Giles," Arglay stopped a movement Tumulty had not made. "I'll see Miss Burnett out." As the room door closed behind them he took her arm. "Why the rush?" he asked gently.

"I don't ... I don't really know," Chloe said. "I'm being rather silly but I felt I couldn't stop there just now. It is rather upsetting, isn't it? And ... O I don't know. I'm sorry to seem a fool."

"You are not in the least like a fool," the Chief Justice said equably. "And you will tell me to-morrow what the matter is. Are you sure you are all right now?"

"Quite all right," Chloe said as he opened the door for her "Yes, really, Lord Arglay." She added with a sudden rush of temper, "I don't like Sir Giles."

"I couldn't," Arglay smiled at her, "have much use for a secretary who did like Sir Giles.