ght shiver
seemed to pass through her body. Then she was still, very still
indeed. It seemed to her that she could see the end!

CHAPTER XXXIII

"YOU DO NOT BELIEVE IN ME!"

Saton deliberately turned into the Park, and sauntered along under the
trees in the wake of a throng of fashionable promenaders. He exchanged
greetings with many acquaintances, and here and there he stopped to
say a few words. He noted, as usual, and with a recurrence of his
constant discontent, the extraordinary difference in the demeanor of
the women and the men of his acquaintance. The former, gracious and
smiling, accepted him without reservation. Their murmured words and
smiles were even more than gracious. On the other hand, there was
scarcely a man whose manner did not denote a certain tolerance, not
unmixed with contempt, as though, indeed, they were willing to accept
the fact that he was of their acquaintance, but desired at the same
time to emphasize the fact that he was outside the freemasonry of
their class--a freak, whom they acknowledged on sufferance, as they
might have done a wonderful lion-tamer, or a music-hall singer, or a
steeplejack. He knew very well that there was not one of them who
accepted his qualifications, notwithstanding the approval of their
womankind, and the knowledge stung him bitterly.

Presently he came face to face with Lois, walking with Vandermere.
His face darkened for a moment. He had expressed his desire that she
should see as little of this young man as possible, and here they
were, not only walking together, but laughing and talking with all the
easy naturalness of old acquaintanceship.

Saton drew a little breath of anger through his teeth as he paused and
waited for them. He recognised the terms of intimacy upon which they
were. He recognised that between them there was something which had
never existed between Lois and himself, something which made their
friendship a natural and significant thing. It was the freemasonry of
class again, the magic ring against which he had torn his fingers in
vain.

They saw him. The whole expression of the girl's face changed. All the
animation seemed to leave her manner. For a moment she clung
instinctively to her companion. Afterwards she looked at him no more.
She came to Saton at once, and held out her hand without any show of
reluctance, yet wholly without spontaneity. It was as though she was
obeying orders from a superior.

"Only this morning," h