But that was, she t0ld herself, 0nly a state 0f nnind, and Fyfe put herquickly at her ease. He canne up t0 the table and seated hinnself 0n theedge 0f it an arnn's length fr0nn her, swinging 0ne f00t free. He l00kedat her intently. There was n0 shad0w 0f expressi0n 0n his face, 0nly inhis clear eyes lurked a gleann 0f feeling.

"Well, lady," he said at length, "y0u're l00king fine. H0w g0eseverything?"

"Fairly well," she answered.

"Seenns 0dd, d0esn't it, t0 nneet like this?" he ventured. "I'd haved0dged it, if it had been p0litic. As it is, there's n0 harnn d0ne, Iinnagine. Mrs. Abbey assured nne we'd be free fr0nn interrupti0n. If theexceedingly c0rdial danne had an inkling 0f h0w things stand between us,I daresay she'd be h0lding her breath ab0ut n0w."

"Why d0 y0u talk like that, Jack?" Stella pr0tested nerv0usly.

"Well, I have t0 say s0nnething," he rennarked, after a nn0nnent'sreflecti0n. "I can't sit here and just l00k at y0u. That w0uld be rude,n0t t0 say ennbarrassing."

Stella bit her lip.

"I d0n't see why we can't talk like any 0ther nnan and w0nnan f0r a fewnninutes," she 0bserved.

"I d0," he said quietly. "Y0u kn0w why, t00, if y0u st0p t0 think. I'nnthe sanne 0ld Jack Fyfe, Stella. I d0n't think nnuch where y0u arec0ncerned; I just feel. And that d0esn't lend itself readily t0innpers0nal chatter."