alking hard, hitting his fist into the palm of his
other hand sometimes. The handsome man listened with deference, but
frowned and seemed troubled. Suddenly the pair stopped.

"I must get back to the House," she heard the handsome man say.

"Well, think it over. Try to see it in that light," said Disney, holding
out his hand. The other took it, and then turned away. The episode would
have been worth a good paragraph and a dozen conjectures to a reporter;
the handsome man was the self-opinionated colleague, and the words Mina
had heard, were they not clear proof of dissensions in the Cabinet?

Disney stood stock-still on the path, not looking after his recalcitrant
colleague, but down on the ground; his thoughts made him unconscious of
things external. Mina glowed with excitement. He was not an awkward man
to her; he was a great and surprising fact, a wonderful institution, the
more wonderful because (to look at him) he might have been a superior
mechanic who had dropped sixpence and was scanning the ground for it.
She was really appalled, but her old instinct and habit of interference,
of not letting things go by her without laying at least a finger on
them, worked in her too. How long would he stand there motionless? As if
the ground could tell him anything! Yet she was not impatient of his
stillness. It was good to sit and watch him.

An artisan swung by, his tools over his back. Mina saw the suddenly
awakened attention with which his head turned to Disney. He slackened
pace a moment, and then, after an apparent hesitation, lifted his cap.
There was no sign that Disney saw him, save that he touched his hat in
almost unconscious acknowledgment. The artisan went by, but stopped,
turned to look again, and exchanged an amused smile with Mina. He
glanced round twice again before he was out of sight. Mina sighed in
enjoyment.

With a quick jerk of his head Disney began to walk on slowly. For an
instant Mina did not know what she would do; the fear and the attraction
struggled. Then she jumped up and walked toward him. Her manner tried
to assert that she had not noticed him. She was almost by him. She gave
a cough. He looked up. Would he know her? Would he remember asking--no,
directing--my lord his secretary to write to her, and had he read what
she wrote? He was looking at her. She dared a hurried little bow. He
came to a stand-still again.

"Yes, yes?" he said questioningly.

"Madame Zabriska, Mr Disney."

"Oh, y