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tone studiedly non-committal. But he went drily: “At this point surely someone should remark, ‘It’s a small world, isn’t it?”’
    “Well, so it is!” Barbara defended the platitude gaily as Victor handed drinks. “Haven’t we just proved it—first you and Victor; then your knowing Kathryn ! ”
    “I deliberately looked your husband up,” remarked Adam, with cool significance.
    “Implying that you’ve had Kathryn thrust upon you?” laughed Barbara. “Come, that’s not very gallant of you, Dr . Brand! I declare I resent it—for Kathryn’s sake!”
    Kathryn flushed, and resented for herself the slight nod of apology which Adam Brand accorded her. He went on to answer a question of Victor’s as to his immediate history before coming to the Wardrop, and as the two men talked she was to realise that his judgment upon her must have been based on what Thelma had told him, as he could not have met Steven in person for a very long time.
    He was telling Victor: “Yes, I decided to specialise in pediatrics as soon as I was qualified. I had some time at Creswell and at Dursington”—mentioning two children’s hospitals—“and more recentl y I’ve ret urn ed from a year in America. I accepted the Wardrop appointment when I returned to England three months ago.”
    “Well, you couldn’t be more fortunate than in having Kathryn as a colleague,” declared Barbara loyally. She hesitated, then said to Victor shyly: “May I tell him about Peter?”
    Victor nodded agreement, and she did so. At the end of the sad little story Adam asked: “And no other children since then?”
    Barbara’s smile was wistful. “None of our own,” she admitted. “Now we make-do at secondhand with Victor’s boys—and, of course Carol.” This time she glanced at Kathryn. “Now I must tell him about Carol, mustn’t I?”
    When she had finished, omitting no detail of the part Kathryn had played, Kathryn rose to go. Adam Brand rose too, offering to give her a lift back to hospital, an offer which she had no choice but to accept, though she did not look forward to the journey.
    Victor said warmly: “You’ll come again to see us Brand?”
    To which Adam’s reply of: “I’d certainly like to, sir,” sounded so nearly boyish that Kathryn glanced at him in surprise. She had not heard that disarming note in his voice before.
    They drove in silence until Adam remarked: “You appear to have played the part of fairy godmother very successfully. Tell me, were you making these plans for your friend and for the child at the time you rejected Carter?”
    “No. Steven had already left England then. Why do you ask?”
    His swift glance was enigmatic. “Perhaps because I hoped that you might have turned Steven down for the sake of some misguided idea of staying in England until these young people were settled and happy.”
    How easy it would be to let him believe that, if it would close the rift between them that was of his making. But Kathryn’s chin went up stubbornly. “It was not like that at all,” she said coldly.
    “No? Then I’m sorry. I hoped I might have stumbled upon a possible reason for your high-handed treatment of a man who loved you.”
    “Why should you trouble to seek excuses for me?”
    Again the oblique glance flashed. Adam said: “Because I prefer to try to think the best of people, even when it is easier to believe the worst. That’s all, I assure you.” With the very coolness and indifference of the words he seemed to set the seal upon their strangerhood.

 
    CHAPTER THREE
    Thelma Carter was alone in the Social Worker’s office when Adam knocked and entered. She was at a filing-cabinet consulting some records, but turned about and smiled brilliantl y at the si gh t of him.
    “Why, Adam, how nice to see you!”
    He set down his brief-case. “The compliment is returned. But I’m on business bent. Where’s Miss Dale?”
    “She’s with Matron. She may be half an hour or more. Is there anything I can