ed over
by finely penciled brows, their strange brilliancy, as of a fire
within, was utterly uncanny. They were the eyes of some beautiful
wild creature rather than those of a woman.

Their possessor had now thrown back her motor-veil, revealing a face
Orientally dark and perfectly oval, with a clustering mass of dull
gold hair, small, aquiline nose and full, red lips. Her weird eyes met
mine for an instant, and then the long lashes drooped quickly, as she
leant back against the cushions, with a graceful languor suggestive of
the East rather than of the West.

Her long coat had fallen partly open, and I saw, with surprise, that
it was lined with leopard-skin. One hand was ungloved, and lay on the
arm-rest--a slim hand of the hue of old ivory, with a strange, ancient
ring upon the index finger.

This woman obviously was not a European, and I experienced great
difficulty in determining with what Asiatic nation she could claim
kinship. In point of fact I had never seen another who remotely
resembled her; she was a fit employer for the gigantic negro with whom
I had collided on the platform.

I tried to laugh at myself, staring from the window at the moon-bathed
landscape; but the strange personality of my solitary companion would
not be denied, and I looked quickly in her direction--in time to
detect her glancing away; in time to experience the uncanny
fascination of her gaze.

The long slim hand attracted my attention again, the green stone in the
ring affording a startling contrast against the dull cream of the skin.

Whether the woman's personality, or a vague perfume of which I became
aware, were responsible, I found myself thinking of a flower-bedecked
shrine, wherefrom arose the smoke of incense to some pagan god.

In vain I told myself that my frame of mind was contemptible, that I
should be ashamed of such weakness. Station after station was left
behind, as the express sped through moonlit England towards the smoky
metropolis. Assured that I was being furtively watched, I became more
and more uneasy.

It was with a distinct sense of effort that I withheld my gaze,
forcing myself to look out of the window. When, having reasoned
against the mad ideas that sought to obsess me, I glanced again across
the compartment, I perceived, with inexpressible relief, that my
companion had lowered her veil.

She kept it lowered throughout the remainder of the journey; yet
during the hour that ensued I continued to expe