Captain Hannaford engaged as caretaker."

Eve talked rapidly and gravely, in a whisper. As she spoke of Apollonia,
she turned a look upon her; and the woman "made horns" with two pointing
fingers. Vanno knew well what this meant.

If Lady Dauntrey's story had begun to impress him, that glance thrown at
Apollonia brought back in a flash all his enmity and suspicion. It was a
murderous look. He knew that she hated the woman for having brought him
to the door of Mary's room.

He was silent for an instant when Eve ceased to speak. Then he said, "I
won't disturb Mary. I will go in quietly and look at her while she
sleeps."

"You may wake her."

"If she did not wake when I called, she won't wake at the sound of a
footstep."

"But my husband--we ought to consult him----"

Before she could finish, Vanno pushed open the door, by virtue of his
strength, which was far greater than that of Lord Dauntrey, who kept
guard on the other side. Noiselessly the young man entered the room; and
as Dauntrey realized that opposition would not avail, he gave way.

It was a large room, sparsely furnished, and so full of light that for a
second or two Vanno was confused, after the dimness of the corridor
outside. The huge window had no curtains, and the afternoon sunlight
poured through it upon the bed which stood near by, facing the door.
Mary's face lying low on the pillow was colourless as wax. The sun lit
up her hair, and turned it to living gold.

Vanno saw only the bed, and Mary lying there asleep. He did not once
look at Dauntrey, who stole out on tiptoe. Eve, waiting for her husband,
put a finger to her lips. As Apollonia peered anxiously into the room,
not daring to cross the threshold, Lord and Lady Dauntrey went softly
away together, as if they were afraid that a creaking board under their
feet might wake the sleeper.

It seemed to Peter that she must have been waiting in Schuyler's
automobile for an hour, when at last she saw a man and a woman walking
quickly down the avenue, toward the gate. She had never seen Lord and
Lady Dauntrey, but she knew that Rose Winter and Vanno believed them to
be Mary's companions. In the hand of the woman was a small, rather flat
bag of dark blue Russian leather, which might be a jewel-case or a
miniature dressing-bag such as women carry when motoring.

The pair had come into sight rounding a turn of the drive; and they saw
the girl looking up from the window of the waiting car at the mome