ere! Aaron's
likely to come in at any moment. Do you know when you were here last?"

Brassfield's brow wrinkled, as he looked about him.

"Ye-e-es," said he slowly, as if in doubt; and then in his ordinary
manner: "Well, I should think I did. The day that donkey, Alderson,
came with the telegram. My faith, and so much has happened in the two
or three days since! But to suggest that I could forget!"

"Why not?" said she, slipping close to him as he sat in a broad-armed
easy chair. "I'll wager anything you say you can't remember half the
times you've been in my presence. Come now, the first time!"

"Pshaw!" said he, "I'm not going into ancient history, further than to
say it was in a room with hangings like these, and a roar of traffic in
the street below. Come, dear, let's not talk of that----"

Her hand, straying near his hair, he took in his, and, crushing it to
his lips, kissed it passionately. She sank down on the side of his
chair, and his arm crept insinuatingly about her waist. Her arms went
round his neck, and she drew his head to her breast, softly, tenderly,
and her lips met his--so many times that for years she blushed when the
memory returned to her.

"Darling!" he whispered, "do you love me?"

"Love you?" said she. "Look in my eyes and see!"

Slowly, with her left hand in the curls on his neck, she drew her face
from his, and, as if fascinated, his eyes sought hers in a long, long,
hungry look.

"You do!" he began gaspingly. "Yes----"

The slender fingers moved upward over his head, the commanding eyes
held his, the other hand, as if for a caress, swept his eyes shut, and
he lay back in the chair, inert as a corpse. Madame le Claire untwined
his arms from her waist, and knelt on the floor before him, her hands
clasped on his knees, her head pillowed in his senseless lap.

Their unseen auditors heard no more conversation, and the judge moved
softly out to a place where he could see. Clara was sobbing as she
groveled at the feet of the man she had obliterated, rescued and
restored, and as she sobbed she pressed his hands to her lips. Judge
Blodgett went back to the window, lifted it noisily and lowered it with
a crash. Then he walked into the front room, and found Madame le
Claire sitting in a chair across the room from her subject, smilingly
and triumphantly regarding the result of the exercise of her mystic
power.

"Is he all right?" queried the judge, looking at the inert form.