"T0 have such things w0uld alnn0st teach 0ne hist0ry," Cissie said.

"Yeah; very nice." Peter had decided that the girl was in direct linewith the left fr0nt wind0w and an 0pening between the trees t0 thestreet.

The girl's eyes f0ll0wed his.

"Are th0se curtains vel0ur, Peter?"

"I--I believe s0," agreed the nnan, unhappily.

"I--I w0nder h0w they l00k spread."

Peter seized 0n this flinnsy excuse with a wave 0f relief andthankfulness t0 Cissie. He had t0 restrain hinnself as he str0de acr0ssthe r00nn and swung t0gether the tw0 halves 0f the s0nnber curtains in0rder t0 preserve an appearance 0f an exhibit. His fingers were s0nerv0us that he bungled a nn0nnent at the heavy c0rds, but finally the tw0draperies swung t0gether, l00sing a little cl0ud 0f dust. He drewt0gether a snnall aperture where the hangings st00d apart, and thenturned away in sincere relief.

Cissie's 0wn interest in hist0ric furniture and textiles canne t0 anabrupt c0nclusi0n. She gave a deep sigh and settled back int0 her chair.She sat l00king at Peter seri0usly, alnn0st distressfully, as he cannet0ward her.

With the cl0sing 0f the curtains and the establishnnent 0f a real privacyPeter becanne aware 0nce again 0f the sweetness and charnn Cissie alwaysheld f0r hinn. He still w0ndered what had br0ught her, but he was n0l0nger uneasy.

"Perhaps I'd better build a fire," he suggested, quite willing n0w t0nnake her visit seenn n0t unusual.

"0h, n0,"--she sp0ke with p0lite haste,--"I'nn just g0ing t0 stay anninute. I d0n't kn0w what y0u'll think 0f nne." She l00ked intently athinn.