ver back
in its place and stood quite still, listening. The bell was rung.
Murgatroyd could not have gone to bed. He would answer the bell no
doubt. If he did not she would have to answer it. After a pause she
heard the bell again, then, almost immediately the front door being
opened, and a faint murmur of voices. An instant later she heard the cab
drive away. Perhaps--had Seymour called and gone away? Could Murgatroyd
have--The door behind her opened. She turned sharply.

"Sir Seymour Portman has called to see you, my lady."

Looking beyond Murgatroyd she saw Seymour standing in the hall, in
evening dress and a thick black overcoat.

Seymour had sent away his cab!

She went into the hall smiling faintly.

"So you have come! I was just going to speak to your man through the
telephone, to tell him not to bother you, that it didn't matter, and
that to-morrow would do as well. It's so very late."

He began to take off his overcoat, helped by Murgatroyd.

"Not a bit too late!" he said. "I shall enjoy a little talk with you by
the fire. Thanks, Murgatroyd! I was dining out with the Montgomeries in
Eaton Square."

"Come upstairs."

She led the way, and as she mounted slowly with him close behind her she
felt weak and now horribly afraid. She went into the drawing-room.
He followed and shut the door, then came slowly, with his firm tread,
towards her and the fire.

"Ah!" he said. "You thought of me!"

He had seen the cigar-box, the whisky and Perrier. A very gentle,
intensely kind, almost beaming look came into his lined face.

"Or--was it Murgatroyd?"

"No."

"I wonder whether you know what it means to an old fellow like myself to
be thought of now and then in these little ways!"

"Oh--Seymour!" she said.

Tears stood in her eyes. His few simple words had suddenly brought home
to her in a strange, intense way the long loneliness to which she
had condemned him. And now he was an old fellow! And he was grateful,
beamingly grateful, for a little commonplace thought about his comfort
such as any hostess might surely have had!

"Don't!" she added. "You hurt me when you say such a thing."

"Do I? And if I take a cigar?"

"Here! Let me clip it for you!"

As she clipped it he said:

"There is nothing serious the matter, is there, Adela? When I had your
message I felt a little anxious."

She lit a match for him. She felt very tender over him, but she felt
also very much afraid of him.

"Your hand is tre