ous action of the arm, as she extended her hand to
welcome me, was accompanied by a curiously flexible turn of the body.
Her hand as it enveloped, rather than grasped, mine seemed boneless but
exceedingly powerful. An indoor dress of brown and gold striped Indian
silk clung to her figure, which, largely built, had an appearance of
great strength. Dark bronze hair and dark eyes, that in the soft light
of the room glowed with deep gold reflections, completed the pantherine
suggestion. She seemed to be on the verge of thirty. A most dangerous
woman, I decided--one to be shut up in a cage with thick iron bars.

"It's charming of you to come. I've heard so much of you from Mr.
Kynnersley. Do sit down."

Her voice was lazy and languorous and caressing like the purr of a great
cat; and there was something exotic in her accent, something seductive,
something that ought to be prohibited by the police. She sank into her
low chair by the fire, indicating one for me square with the hearthrug.
Dale, so as to leave me a fair conversational field with the lady,
established himself on the sofa some distance off, and began to talk
with a Chow dog, with whom he was obviously on terms of familiarity.
Madame Brandt make a remark about the Chow dog's virtues, to which I
politely replied. She put him through several tricks. I admired his
talent. She declared her affections to be divided between Adolphus (that
was the Chow dog's name) and an ouistiti, who was confined to bed for
the present owing to the evil qualities of the November air. For the
first time I blessed the English climate. I hate little monkeys. I also
felt a queer disappointment. A woman like that ought to have caught an
ourang-outang.

She guessed my thought in an uncanny manner, and smiled, showing strong,
white, even teeth--the most marvellous teeth I have ever beheld--so even
as to constitute almost a deformity.

"I'm fonder of bigger animals," she said. "I was born among them.
My father was a lion tamer, so I know all the ways of beasts. I love
bears--I once trained one to drive a cart--but"--with a sigh--"you can't
keep bears in Cadogan Gardens."

"You may get hold of a human one now and then," said Dale.

"I've no doubt Madame Brandt could train him to dance to whatever tune
she played," said I.

She turned her dark golden eyes lazily, slumberously on me.

"Why do you say that, Mr. de Gex?"

This was disconcerting. Why had I said it? For no particular reason,