Big drops of rain, driven slantwise
by gusts of wind, were making the passers-by run hastily to cover.

She was sorry he had spoken. Never had she dreamed that he thought of
her in that way. She was sorry for him, because he deserved to be happy.
She was grateful to him, but in her heart she knew well that it was
useless to hold out any hope. She could never love him. It was too bad
that he had spoken. Now their relations would not be so pleasant. There
would be embarrassment on both sides. The delightful friendly intimacy
of the past must cease. She had lost her best friend.

Was any girl so unfortunate and so unhappy before? Here she was locked
up in this depressing boarding house, afraid to go out for fear that her
uncle might try to kidnap her and do her some harm. For some unexplained
reason she felt horribly nervous and low-spirited. Whether it was
because Mr. Ricaby had left her all alone she did not know, but she felt
herself growing more and more nervous. If only Tod would come to cheer
her up. Suddenly, as she stood looking disconsolately through the
window, her gaze became riveted on a figure which she noticed standing
in a doorway opposite. It was a man with a slouch hat pulled well down
over his eyes, and it seemed to her that she recognized Dr. Zacharie. He
appeared to be watching the house. Instinctively, she shrank back and
when she looked again he had disappeared.

She laughed nervously to herself. How foolish she was! Why should Dr.
Zacharie watch the house? She was surely mistaken. No doubt it was some
stranger sheltering from the rain. If she kept seeing things like that
she would soon make herself ill. With a forced effort at gaiety she
essayed to throw off her melancholy by humming a song, but soon stopped,
unable to continue. Sitting down at the piano, her fingers had just
touched the keys when all at once there was a knock at the door. Paula
rose and opened. It was Mrs. Parkes.

"You're wanted at the telephone, my dear," said the landlady.

"Who is it?" demanded Paula.

"Mr. Chase."

Paula hesitated.

"Mr. Chase--I--I can't go--make some excuse."

"Shall I take the message?" asked Mrs. Parkes.

Remembering Mr. Ricaby's parting admonition Paula shook her head.

"No--I--must not receive any message," she replied.

As she spoke she was standing in a position commanding a view of the
street. Suddenly she started back in consternation and beckoned to the
landlady.

"Mrs. Parkes, come