is your mistress?'

'Out, sir.'

He examined the girl shrewdly, with his eyes and with words. It was
perfectly true that women--of a kind--could not resist him. In the end
he discovered exactly what had happened. He laughed his wonted laugh of
cynical merriment.

'Go to bed,' he said to the servant. 'And if you hear anyone at the
door, pay no attention.'

Then he locked up the house, front and back, and, having extinguished
all lights except a small lantern by which he could read in the
sitting-room without danger of its being discerned from outside, sat
down with a sense of amusement. Presently there came a ring at the
bell; it was repeated again and again. The month was October, the night
decidedly cool. Rodman chuckled to himself; he had a steaming glass of
whisky before him and sipped it delicately. The ringing continued for a
quarter of an hour, then five minutes passed, and no sound came. Rodman
stepped lightly to the front door, listened, heard nothing, unlocked and
opened. Alice was standing in the middle of the road, her hands crossed
over her breast and holding her shoulders as though she suffered from
the cold. She came forward and entered the house without speaking.

In the sitting-room she found the lantern and looked at her husband in
surprise. His face was stern.

'What's all this?' he asked sharply.

'I've been to London,' she answered, her teeth chattering with cold and
her voice uncertain from fear.

'Been to London? And what business had you to go without telling me?'

He spoke savagely. Alice was sinking with dread, but even yet had
sufficient resolve to keep up the comedy.

'I had an invitation. I don't see why I shouldn't go. I don't ask you
who you go about with.'

The table was laid for supper. Rodman darted to it, seized a
carving-knife, and in an instant was holding it to her throat. She
shrieked and fell upon her knees, her face ghastly with mortal terror.
Then Rodman burst out laughing and showed that his anger had been
feigned.

She had barely strength to rise, but at length stood before him
trembling and sobbing, unable to believe that he had not been in
earnest.

'You needn't explain the trick,' he said, with the appearance of great
good-humour, 'but just tell me why you played it. Did you think I should
believe you were up to something queer, eh?'

'You must think what you like,' she sobbed, utterly humiliated.

He roared with laughter.

'What a splendid idea! The P