of　tragedy；　of　doom　impending。。。

Then　she　shook　the　impression　from　her　with　her　usual　good　sense　and　turned　her　whole　attention　to　what　the　clerk　was　saying。

Chapter　9

AN　OFFER　REFUSED

It　was　rarely　that　Derek　Kettering　allowed　his　temper　to　get　the　better　of　him。　An　easygoing　insouciance　was　his　chief　characteristic　and　it　had　stood　him　in　good　stead　in　more　than　one　tight　corner。　Even　now；　by　the　time　he　had　left　Mirelle's　flat；　he　had　cooled　down。　He　had　need　of　coolness。　The　corner　he　was　in　now　was　a　tighter　one　than　he　had　ever　been　in　before；　and　unforeseen　factors　had　arisen　with　which；　for　the　moment；　he　did　not　know　how　to　deal。

He　strolled　along　deep　in　thought。　His　brow　was　furrowed；　and　there　was　none　of　the　easy；　jaunty　manner　which　sat　so　well　on　him。　Various　possibilities　floated　trough　his　mind。　It　might　have　been　said　of　Derek　Kettering　that　he　was　less　of　a　fool　than　he　looked。　He　saw　several　roads　that　he　might　take　…　one　in　particular。　If　he　shrank　from　it；　it　was　for　the　moment　only。

Desperate　ills　need　desperate　remedies。　He　had　gauged　his　father…in…law　correctly。　A　war　between　Derek　Kettering　and　Rufus　Van　Aldin　could　end　only　one　way。　Derek　damned　money　and　the　power　of　money　vehemently　to　himself。　He　walked　up　St　James's　Street；　across　Piccadilly；　and　strolled　along　it　in　the　direction　of　Piccadilly　Circus。　As　he　passed　the　offices　of　Messrs。　Thomas　Cook　&　Sons　his　footsteps　slackened。　He　walked　on；　however；　still　turning　the　matter　over　in　his　mind。　Finally；　he　gave　a　brief　nod　of　his　head；　turned　sharply　…　so　sharply　as　to　collide　with　a　couple　of　pedestrians　who　were　following　in　his　footsteps；　and　went　back　the　way　he　had　e。　This　time　he　did　not　pass　Cook's；　but　went　in。　The　office　was　paratively