g to keep you waiting," she said as they shook hands, "but I
came in late. You'll stay to dinner, of course. I had an engagement
but broke it, as I'm still feeling a little out of sorts."

"Never saw you look better. Nor in blue before. You look like a lily
in a blue vase, or a snow maiden rising from a blue mist. Not that I'm
feeling poetic today, but you do look ripping. What gave you a
headache? I thought you scorned the ills of the flesh."

"So I do, but I had spent three hours in Judge Trent's office that
morning, and you know what these American men are. They keep the heat
on no matter what the temperature outside, and every window closed. On
Tuesday the sun was blazing in besides, and Judge Trent and the two
other men I was obliged to confer with smoked cigars incessantly. It
gave me the first headache I'd had for twenty years. I felt as if I'd
been poisoned."

She looked up at him, smilingly, from her deep chair as he stood above
her on the hearthrug. He didn't believe a word of it: he was convinced
she had been advised of Hohenhauer's coming, and that for some reason
the news had upset her; but he had no intention of betraying himself.
Moreover, he didn't care. He was too intent on his own plans.

"The rest has done you good," he said, smiling also. "But as you were
looking rather fagged before you came down with that two-days'
headache, I made up my mind that you needed a change and dropped Din a
hint to open his camp in the Adirondacks and give you a farewell
house-party. He jumped at the idea and it's all arranged. You'll have
eight days of outdoor life and some sport, as well as a good rest.
He's got a big comfortable camp on a beautiful lake, where we can boat
and fish----"

"But Lee----" She was almost gasping.

"No buts. Not only do you need a rest before that long journey but I
want these last days with you in the mountains where I can have you
almost to myself. It seems to me sometimes that I do not know you at
all--nor you me. And to roam with you in the woods during the day and
float about that lake at night--it came to me suddenly like a foretaste
of heaven. I couldn't stand the thought of the separation otherwise.
Besides, here you'd be given a farewell luncheon or dinner every day
until you sailed. I'd see nothing of you. And you'd be worn out. You
must come, Mary dear."

Mary felt dimly suspicious, but it was possible that he had read his
morning papers hastily, or