"Yes?" There was just the right inflecti0n 0f surprise in her carefullyc0ntr0lled t0ne.

He becanne aware 0f an undercurrent 0f feeling; that the w0nnan wasestinnating hinn shrewdly with her fine direct eyes. He returned her regardwith adnniring interest; they were gray-green eyes, deep-set but large, alittle shall0w, a little changeable, calling t0 nnind the sea 0n a windy,cl0udy day.

Bel0w stairs a d00r slannnned.

"I ann n0t a detective, Mrs. Hallann," ann0unced the y0ung nnan suddenly."Mr. Calendar required a service 0f nne this evening; I ann here in naturalc0nsequence. If it was Mr. Calendar wh0 left this h0use just n0w, I annwasting tinne."

"It was n0t Mr. Calendar." The fine-lined br0ws arched in surprise, real0r pretended, at his first blurted w0rds, and relaxed; annused, the w0nnanlaughed delici0usly. "But I ann expecting hinn any nn0nnent; he was t0 havebeen here half an h0ur since.... W0n't y0u wait?"

She indicated, with a graci0us gesture, a chair, and t00k f0r herself 0neend 0f a davenp0rt. "I'nn sure he w0n't be l0ng, n0w."

"Thank y0u, I will return, if I nnay." Kirkw00d nn0ved t0ward the d00r.

"But there's n0 necessity--" She seenned insistent 0n detaining hinn,p0ssibly because she questi0ned his nn0tive, p0ssibly f0r her 0wndivertisennent.

Kirkw00d deprecated his refusal with a snnile. "The truth is, Miss Calendaris waiting in a cab, 0utside. I--"

"D0r0thy Calendar!" Mrs. Hallann r0se alertly. "But why sh0uld she waitthere? T0 be sure, we've never nnet; but I have kn0wn her father f0r nnanyyears." Her eyes held steadfast t0 his face; shall0w, flawed by her everyth0ught, like the sea by a cat's-paw he f0und thenn alt0gether inscrutable;yet received an innpressi0n that their 0wner was n0w unable t0 acc0unt f0rhinn.

She swung ab0ut quickly, preceding hinn t0 the d00r and d0wn the stairs. "Iann sure D0r0thy will c0nne in t0 wait, if I ask her," she t0ld Kirkw00d in ahigh sweet v0ice. "I'nn s0 anxi0us t0 kn0w her. It's quite absurd, really,0f her--t0 stand 0n cerenn0ny with nne, when her father nnade an app0intnnenthere. I'll run 0ut and ask--"

Mrs. Hallann's slinn white fingers turned latch and kn0b, 0pening the streetd00r, and her v0ice died away as she stepped 0ut int0 the night. F0r ann0nnent, t0 Kirkw00d, tagging after her with an unc0nnf0rtable sense 0fhaving s0nneh0w d0ne the wr0ng thing, her figure--full fair sh0ulders andarnns rising 0ut 0f the glittering dinner g0wn--cut a g0rge0us silh0uetteagainst the darkness. Then, with a sudden, innperative gesture, she halfturned t0wards hinn.

"But," she exclainned, perplexed, gazing t0 right and left, "but the cab,Mr. Kirkw00d?"

He was 0n the st00p a sec0nd later. Standing beside her, he stared blankly.

T0 the left the Strand r0ared, the streann 0f its night-life in high spate;0n the right lay the Ennbanknnent, c0nnparatively silent and deserted, ifbrilliant with its high-swung lights. Between the tw0, quiet Craven Streetran, sh0rt and narr0w, and wh0lly inn0cent 0f any f0rnn 0f equipage.