a Vere's left, and Spencer on her
right. Beyond them, respectively, were Lulu Badminton-Smythe and her
husband, and between these latter were de la Vere and Helen. Thus, the
girl was separated from the two men whom her shrewd eyed hostess had
classed as rivals, while the round table made possible a general
conversation.

The talk could hardly fail to turn on the day's adventures. Spencer,
who had never before in his life thrust himself forward in a social
gathering, did so now with fixed purpose. He meant to eclipse Bower in
a territory where that polished man of the world was accustomed to
reign unchallenged. But he had the wisdom to wait. He guessed, not
without good cause, that more than one late arrival would pause beside
their table and make polite inquiries as to the climbers' well being.
These interruptions were fatal to Bower's well balanced periods. The
journey to the hut, therefore, was dealt with jerkily.

When Spencer took up the thread, he caught and held the attention of
his hearers. In this he was helped considerably by his quaint idioms.
To English ears, American expressions are always amusing. Spencer, of
course, could speak quite as correct English as anyone present; but
he realized that in this instance a certain amount of picturesque
exaggeration would lend itself to humor. His quick ear too had missed
none of the queer mixture of prayers and objurgations with which Karl
and the two guides hailed every incident. His selections set them all
in a roar. In fact, they were the liveliest party in the room. Many an
eye was drawn by a merriment that offered such striking contrast to
the dramatic episode in the outer hall.

"The one person missing from that crowd is the stage lady," was Miss
Gladys Wragg's caustic comment, when Badminton-Smythe evoked a fresh
outburst by protesting that he forgot to eat his fish owing to
Spencer's beastly funny yarn.

And Miss Wragg's criticism was justified. It only needed Millicent's
presence to add a wizard's touch to the amazement with which Mrs.
Vavasour and others of her kind regarded the defection of the de la
Veres and the Badminton-Smythes. But Millicent was dining in her own
room. The last thing she dreamed of was that Helen would face the
other residents in the hotel after the ordeal she had gone through an
hour earlier. She half expected that Bower would endeavor to meet her
privately while dinner was being served. She was ready for him. She
prepared a numbe