Bull glanced down at it. Then he looked again into the smiling eyes.

"Thanks," he said. "I'll ring up." Then he held out a hand. "So long."

He was gone. The glass door had swung to behind him. Nancy watched him
pass into the waiting automobile, and responded to his final wave of the
hand. Then she turned to the porter, and her smile had completely
vanished.

* * * * *

Nathaniel Hellbeam stood up. He had been seated at Elas Peterman's desk
studying the papers which his managing director had set out for his
perusal. His gross body hung over the table for a moment as he reached
towards his hat. He took his gloves from inside it and commenced to put
them on.

"The _Myra_? You say she is in?" he asked in his guttural fashion. "This
girl? This girl who is to buy up this--this Sachigo man," he laughed.
"Is she arrived?"

The man's eyes were alight with unpleasant derision. Peterman gave no
heed. The man's arrogance was all too familiar to him.

"I've not heard--yet," he said. "She should be."

"You not have heard--yet?" The challenge was superlatively offensive.
"You a beautiful secretary have. You lose her for weeks--months. Yet you
do not know of her return--yet? Sho! You are not the man for this
beautiful secretary. She for me is--yes? Hah!"

Peterman smiled as was his duty.

"I shall be glad to get her back," he said quietly. "But I haven't heard
from her at all. And--well, she's not the sort of woman to bombard with
telegrams. She's out on a difficult job and I felt it best to leave her
to it. I shall hear when she's ready, I guess she'll be right along in
to tell me personally. Maybe--"

He broke off and picked up the telephone whose buzzer was rattling
impatiently on the desk.

"Hullo!" he said softly. "Oh, yes. Oh, how are you? So glad you've got
back. What sort of passage did--oh, bad, eh? Well, well; I'm sorry. Oh,
you're a good sailor. That's fine. Right away? You'll be over right
away? Wouldn't you like to rest awhile? All right, I see. Yes, surely
I'll be glad. I just thought--oh, not at all. You see, if you were a man
I wouldn't be concerned at all. Yes, come right along whenever you
choose. Eh? Successful? You have been? Why, that's just fine. Well, I'm
dying to hear your news. Splendid. I shall be here. G'bye."

Peterman set the 'phone down. His smiling eyes challenged those of the
man who a moment before had derided him.

"Well?"

Hellbeam's impatience w