ts_, were the words that stood out
before her widening gaze. She remained as one transfixed, staring at
them. It was as if a thunderbolt had fallen in the quiet room....

It must have been many minutes later that she came to herself and found
herself huddled in a chair by the table, shivering from head to foot. She
was conscious of a horrible feeling of sickness, and her heart was
beating slowly, with thick, uneven strokes.

The room was growing dark. The chill desolation of the world outside
seemed to have followed her in. She could not remember that she had ever
felt so deadly cold before. She could not keep her teeth from chattering.

Something moved close to her, and she realized what had roused her.
Columbus was standing up by her side, his forepaws against her, his
grizzled nose nudging her arm. She stirred stiffly, and put the arm
about him.

"Oh--Christopher!" she said, and gasped as if she had not breathed for a
long time. "Oh--Christopher!"

He leaned up against her, stretching his warm tongue to reach her cheek,
his whole body wriggling with gushing solicitude under her hand.

She looked down at him with the dazed eyes of one who has received a
stunning blow. "I don't know what we shall do, my doggie," she said.

And then very suddenly she was on her feet, tense, palpitating, her
head turned to listen. The gate had clicked again, and someone was
coming up the path.

It was Dick, and he moved with the step of an eager man, reached the
door, opened it, and entered. She heard him in the passage, heard his
tread upon the threshold, heard his voice greeting her.

"Hullo, darling! All alone in the dark? I've had a beast of a day away
from you."

His hands reached out and clasped her. She was actually in his arms
before she found her voice.

"Dick! Dick! Please! I want to speak to you," she said.

He clasped her close. His lips pressed hers, stopping all utterance for a
while with a mastery that would not be held in check. She could not
resist him, but there was no rapture in her yielding. His love was like a
flame about her, but she was cold--cold as ice. Suddenly, with his face
against her neck, he spoke: "What's the matter, Juliet?"

She quivered in response, made an attempt to release herself, felt his
arms tighten, and was still. "I have--found out--something," she said,
her voice very low.

"What is it?" he said.

She did not answer. A great impulse arose in her to wrench herself
from him, t