,
and guessed that someone had been burning some perfume in the flat.
There was certainly nothing repellent in this temporary home of Arabian.
Yet she felt with a painful strength that she had better go away without
entering it. While she paused, but before she had said anything, she
heard a quiet step, and a thin man of about thirty with a very dark
narrow face and light, grey eyes appeared.

"Please bring tea for two at once," said Arabian in Spanish.

"Yes, sir, in a moment," said the man, also in Spanish.

Miss Van Tuyn stepped in, and the door was gently shut behind her by
Arabian's manservant.

Arabian opened the second door on the left of the hall.

"This is my little salon," he said. "May I--"

"No, thank you. I'll keep on my coat. I must go home in a minute. I
shall have a good deal to do. Really I oughtn't to be here at all. If
anyone--after such news--"

She looked at Arabian. She had just had news of the death of her father,
and she had come out to tea with this man. Was she crazy?

"I don't know why I came!" she said bluntly, angrily almost.

"Do please sit down," he said, pushing forward a large arm-chair. "If
these curtains were not drawn we could see the river Thames from here.
It is a fine view."

He bent down and poked the fire, then stood beside it, looking down at
her as she sat in the chair.

She glanced round the room. It was well furnished and contained two or
three good pieces, but there was nothing in it which showed personality,
a thoughtful guiding mind and taste; there was nothing in it even which
marked it definitely as the home of a woman rather than a man, or vice
versa.

"I rent it furnished," said Arabian, evidently guessing her thought.

"Are you here for long?"

"I do not quite know. That depends."

His large eyes were fixed upon her as he said this, and she longed to
ask him what intentions he had with regard to her. He had never made
love to her. He had never even been what is sometimes called "foolish"
with her. Not a word to which she could object had ever come from his
lips. By no action had he ever claimed anything from her. And yet she
felt that in some way he was governing her, was imposing his will on
her. Certainly he had once followed her in the street. But on that
occasion he had not known who she was. Now, as he gazed at her, she felt
certain that he had formed some definite project with regard to her, and
meant to carry it out at whatever cost. Garstin