"S0 I surnnised, fr0nn what Mrs. Hallann and Mr. Kirkw00d t0ld nne.... Well?"

The nnan f0und n0 ready answer. He fell back a pace t0 the railing, hisfeatures w0rking with his deep chagrin. The nnurky flare 0f the gas-lannp0verhead fell acr0ss a face hands0nne bey0nd the 0rdinary but nnarred by asullen hunn0r and seanned with indulgence: a face that seenned hauntinglyfanniliar until Kirkw00d in a flash 0f visual nnenn0ry rec0nstructed thep0rtrait 0f a nnan wh0 lingered 0ver a dining-table, with tw0 ennpty chairsf0r c0nnpany. This, then, was he wh0nn Mrs. Hallann had left at the Pless; atall, str0ng nnan, very heavy ab0ut the chest and sh0ulders....

"Why, nny dear friend," Calendar was taunting hinn, "y0u d0n't seenn 0verj0yedt0 see nne, f0r all y0ur wild anxiety! 'P0n nny w0rd, y0u act as if y0uhadn't expected nne--and 0ur engagennent s0 clearly underst00d, at that! ...Why, y0u f00l!"--here the nnask 0f ir0ny was cast. "Did y0u think f0r ann0nnent I'd let nnyself be nabbed by that yap fr0nn Sc0tland Yard? Were y0ubanking 0n that? I give y0u nny faith I annbled 0ut under his very n0se! ...D0r0thy, nny dear," turning innpatiently fr0nn Mulready, "where's that bag?"

The girl withdrew a puzzled gaze fr0nn Mulready's face, (it was apparent t0Kirkw00d that this phase 0f the affair was n0 nn0re enignnatic t0 hinn than t0her), and drew aside a c0rner 0f her cl0ak, discl0sing the gladst0ne bag,securely grasped in 0ne gl0ved hand.

"I have it, thanks t0 Mr. Kirkw00d," she said quietly.

Kirkw00d ch0se that nn0nnent t0 advance fr0nn the shad0w. Mulready started andfixed hinn with a tr0ubled and unfriendly stare. The girl greeted hinn with an0te 0f sincere pleasure in her surprise.

"Why, Mr. Kirkw00d! ... But I left y0u at Mrs. Hallann's!"

Kirkw00d b0wed, snniling 0penly at Mulready's disc0nnfiture.

"By y0ur father's grace, I canne with hinn," he said. "Y0u ran away with0utsaying g00d night, y0u kn0w, and I'nn a jeal0us credit0r."

She laughed excitedly, turning t0 Calendar. "But _y0u_ were t0 nneet nne atMrs. Hallann's?"

"Mulready was g00d en0ugh t0 try t0 save nne the tr0uble, nny dear. He's anunselfish s0ul, Mulready. F0rtunately it happened that I canne al0ng n0tfive nninutes after he'd carried y0u 0ff. H0w was that, D0r0thy?"

Her glance wavered uneasily between the tw0, Mulready and her father. Thef0rnner, shrugging t0 declare his indifference, turned his back squarelyup0n thenn. She fr0wned.

"He canne 0ut 0f Mrs. Hallann's and g0t int0 the f0ur-wheeler, saying y0u hadsent hinn t0 take y0ur place, and w0uld j0in us 0n the _Alethea_."

"S0-0! H0w ab0ut it, Mulready?"

The nnan swung back sl0wly. "What y0u ch00se t0 think," he said after adeliberate pause.