his
approbation of everything. As he came out, he paused for some moments to
examine the lock on the door.

"Quite inadequate, quite inadequate," he muttered with a frown. "We must
do better than that."

He stood and thought a moment, then put out the light, stepped to the
garden door and disappeared into the night.

With so light a tread did he come back that Mr. Early, should he have
been listening, could have heard no warning footstep to tell him that
his guest was returning.

Back in his own bedroom, Ram Juna peeped into the luxurious bath-room
with placid delight.

"So much water, so easily hot," he said. "It is admirable. All is
admirable." He sank in a heap, cross-legged, in the middle of the floor,
with large hands folded over his stomach, and large eyes narrowed, while
a kindly smile spread over his face, and his head nodded at rhythmic
intervals, for all the world like a benevolent Buddha. The ruby glowed
and sparkled like a living thing in the light and movement; and thus he
sat for some hours.

CHAPTER IV

AT MADELINE'S

"Now," said Richard Percival, as he and Norris stowed themselves away in
his automobile, "we shall leave the city, in which are contained how
many loves and struggles and silk umbrellas at reasonable prices, and go
to the lake where there is no civilization to bother and distract. The
lake is 'The Lake' _par excellence_ to St. Etienne. It was created by
Providence for summer homes. Therefore it was placed only ten miles from
the Falls. Providence was a good business woman. Generations of savages
lived and died--chiefly died--here. They came where the Father of Waters
roared and tumbled and they made their prayers to the Great Spirit, but
the sight never suggested to them a great city. Then came the
Anglo-Saxon, whatever he is, and harnessed the power of the river, and
built ugly gray mills, dusty with flour, and turned his log huts into
houses of brick and stone, and erected saloons and department stores.
And when he had worked like Daedalus--and you've probably forgotten who
Daedalus was, now that you have been a few weeks out of college--when he
had worked like Daedalus, I say, and got the hardest of it done, he began
to look at something besides the Falls and to pine for means of
dalliance. Behold then at his hand, Lake Imnijaska! And now Madeline
Elton is the best thing on its shore. Gee up, old motor!"

They sped along and Dick took up the tale. He was used to talki