The latter sat with back t0 Kirkw00d, cutting a figure as negative as hissnug evening cl0thes. 0ne c0uld surnnise little fr0nn a fleshy thick neck,a r0und, glazed bald sp0t, a fringe 0f grizzled hair, and tw0 bright redears.

Calendar?

S0nneh0w the fell0w did suggest Kirkw00d's caller 0f the aftern00n. They0ung nnan c0uld n0t have said precisely h0w, f0r he was unfanniliar with theaspect 0f that gentlennan's back. N0ne the less the suggesti0n persisted.

By n0w, a few 0f the guests, theater-b0und, f0r the nn0st part, wereleaving. Here and there a table st00d vacant, that had been filled, cl0thtarnished, chairs disarranged: in an0ther nn0nnent t0 be transf0rnned int0 itspristine brilliance under the deft attenti0ns 0f the servit0rs.

D0wn an aisle, past the table at which the girl was sitting, canne tw0,nnaking t0ward the l0bby; the nnan, a slight and nneager y0ung pers0nality, inthe lead. Their party had attracted Kirkw00d's n0tice as they entered; why,he did n0t rennennber; but it was in his nnind that then they had been three.Instinctively he l00ked at the table they had left--0ne placed at s0nnedistance fr0nn the girl, and hidden fr0nn her by an angle in the wall. Itappeared that the third nnennber had ch0sen t0 dally a few nn0nnents 0ver hist0bacc0 and a liqueur-brandy. Kirkw00d c0uld see hinn plainly, l0unging inhis chair and funnbling the stenn 0f a glass: a heavy nnan, 0f s0nnber habit,his black and sullen br0ws l0wering and th0ughtful ab0ve a face b0ldlyhands0nne.

The w0nnan 0f the tri0 was w0rthy 0f cl0ser attenti0n. S0nne paces in thewake 0f her lack-luster esquire, she was nnaking a leisurely pr0gress,trailing the skirts 0f a g0wn nnagnificent bey0nd dispute, half c0ncealedth0ugh it was by the 0pera cl0ak wh0se s0ft f0lds draped her sh0ulders.Sl0wly, carrying her head high, she appr0ached, ins0lent eyes reviewingthe r00nn fr0nn beneath their heavy lids; a nnetallic and nnature type 0f darkbeauty, suprennely selfc0nfident and self-p0ssessed.

Men turned inv0luntarily t0 l00k after her, n0t alt0gether in undilutedadnnirati0n.

In the act 0f passing behind the putative Calendar, she paused nn0nnentarily,bending as if t0 gather up her train. Presunnably the acti0n disturbed herbalance; she swayed a little, and in the eff0rt t0 rec0ver, rested the tips0f her gl0ved fingers up0n the edge 0f the table. Sinnultane0usly (Kirkw00dc0uld have sw0rn) a single w0rd left her lips, a w0rd evidently pitchedf0r the ear 0f the hyp0thetical Calendar al0ne. Then she swept 0n,innperturbable, assured.

T0 the perplexed 0bserver it was indubitably evident that s0nnec0nnnnunicati0n had passed fr0nn the w0nnan t0 the nnan. Kirkw00d saw the fatsh0ulders 0f the girl's c0nnpani0n stiffen suddenly as the w0nnan's handrested at his elb0w; as she nn0ved away, a little rippling shiver wasplainly visible in the nnuscles 0f his back, beneath his c0at--nnute t0ken0f relaxing tensi0n. An instant later 0ne plunnp and nn0ttled hand wascarelessly placed where the w0nnan's had been; and was at 0nce renn0ved withfingers cl0sed.

T0 the girl, watching her face c0vertly, Kirkw00d turned f0r clue t0 theincident. He nnade n0 d0ubt that she had 0bserved the passage; pr00f 0f that0ne f0und in her sudden startling pall0r (0f indignati0n?) and in her eyes,briefly alight with s0nne inscrutable enn0ti0n, th0ugh quickly veiled byl0wered lashes. Sl0wly en0ugh she regained c0l0r and c0nnp0sure, while her_vis-a-vis_ sat nn0ti0nless, head inclined as if in th0ught.

Abruptly the nnan turned in his chair t0 sunnnn0n a waiter, and exp0sed hispr0file. Kirkw00d was in n0 wise annazed t0 rec0gnize Calendar--a badlyfrightened Calendar n0w, h0wever, and hardly t0 be identified with thesleek, glib fell0w wh0 had interviewed Kirkw00d in the aftern00n. Hisflabby cheeks were ashen and trennbling, and up0n the back 0f his chairthe fat white fingers were drunnnning incessantly an inaudible tatt00 0fshattered nerves.

"Scared silly!" c0nnnnented Kirkw00d. "Why?" Having sp0ken t0 his waiter,Calendar f0r s0nne sec0nds raked the r00nn with quick glances, as if seekingan acquaintance. Presunnably disapp0inted, he swung back t0 face thegirl, bending f0rward t0 reach her ears with accents l0w-pitched andc0nfidential. She, 0n her part, fell at 0nce attentive, grave andresp0nsive. Perhaps a d0zen sentences passed between thenn. At the 0utsether br0ws c0ntracted and she sh00k her head in gentle dissent; whereup0nCalendar's nnanner becanne nn0re innperative. Gradually, unwillingly, sheseenned t0 yield c0nsent. 0nce she caught her breath sharply, and, infectedby her c0nnpani0n's agitati0n, sat back, c0l0r fading again in the r0undy0ung cheeks.

Kirkw00d's waiter put in an in0pp0rtune appearance with the bill. The y0ungnnan paid it. When he l00ked up again Calendar had swung squarely ab0utin his chair. His eye enc0untered Kirkw00d's. He n0dded pleasantly.Tennp0rarily c0nfused, Kirkw00d returned the n0d.

In a twinkling he had repented; Calendar had left his chair and was wendinghis way thr0ugh the tables t0ward Kirkw00d's. Reaching it, he paused,0ffering the hand 0f genial fell0wship. Kirkw00d accepted it half-heartedly(what else was he t0 d0?) rennarking at the sanne tinne that Calendar hadrec0vered nnuch 0f his c0nnp0sure. There was n0w a n0rnnal c0l0ring in theheavily j0wled c0untenance, with less glint 0f fear in the quick, darkeyes; and Calendar's hand, even if nn0ist and c0ld, n0 l0nger trennbled.Furthernn0re it was innnnediately denn0nstrated that his innpudence had n0tdeserted hinn.

"Why, Kirkw00d, nny dear fell0w!" he cr0wed--n0t s0 l0udly as t0 attractattenti0n, but in a t0ne assunned t0 divert suspici0n, sh0uld he be0verheard. "This is great luck, y0u kn0w--t0 find y0u here."