e better. Surely she had had more
than her share of love, and she had something to do in the world of
vastly greater importance than wasting time in a man's arms. And did
she really want passion in her life again? She with her young body and
her old mind! Did she?

She recalled those brief moments of complete and ecstatic surrender.
Or tried to recall them. She was very tired. Perhaps she might dream
about them, but at the moment they seemed as far away as her first
youth.

She awoke the next day only in time to dress and go to Mrs. Ruyler's
for luncheon. She attended a concert in the afternoon, and she did not
return from the Lawrences' until midnight. On Monday she lunched with
Mrs. Vane and brought "Harry" and Mr. Dinwiddie home with her. She
would give herself no time to think and brood. She was too wise to
harden her heart against him by bitter fancies that might be as
bitterly unjust, and assuredly she had no intention of meeting disaster
weakened by romantic castle-building. Not she. Let events take their
course. Whatever came, she had the strength to meet it.

As Clavering entered the library she was standing by the hearth, one
hand on the mantelshelf. Her repose was absolute as she turned her
head. In her eyes was an insolent expression, a little mocking, a
little challenging. There was no trace of apprehension. As she saw
Clavering's angry face her brows lifted.

"What did you let those fellows in for?" he demanded, glaring at her
from the door. "You set this hour for our meeting and I just missed
finding them here in this room. I should have thought you would have
wanted to be alone before I came----"

And then for a moment Mary Zattiany's mind felt as young as her body.
It seemed to her that she heard ruins tumbling behind her, down and out
of sight. Her head felt light and she grasped the mantel for support;
but she was not too dazed to realize that Clavering was in anything but
a love-making mood, and she managed to steady her voice and reply
lightly:

"I lunched with Polly Vane, and her devoted son was hanging 'round.
Mr. Dinwiddie was also at the luncheon, and as they both walked home
with me I could do no less than ask them in for a moment. But I never
have the least difficulty getting rid of people."

"Ah!" He continued to stand staring at her, and, as he had
anticipated, he saw only Mary Zattiany. As far as he was concerned
Mary Ogden had never existed. But he still fe