d twelve
feet long. There was a single small door to the corridor, and two
small windows. A couch stood by them; there were two low chairs, and
a small bench-like table.

Tolla made Jane as comfortable as possible. Food was at hand; Tolla,
after an hour or two served it at the little table, eating the meal
with Jane, and sitting with her on the couch where they could gaze
through the windows.

To Jane this girl of another world was at once interesting,
surprising and baffling. Jane could only look upon her as an enemy.
In Jane's mind there was no thought save that we must escape, and
frustrate Tako's attack upon New York; and she was impulsive,
youthful enough to think something might be contrived.

At all events, she saw Tolla in the light of an enemy who might be
tricked into giving information.

Jane admits that her ideas were quite as vague as our own when it
came to planning anything definite.

She at first studied Tolla, who seemed as young as herself and
perhaps in her own world, was as beautiful. And within an hour or
two she was surprised at Tolla's friendliness. They had dined
together, gazed through the windows at the speeding shadows of the
strange world sliding past; they had dozed together on the couch.
During all this they could have been schoolgirl friends. Not captor
and captive upon these strange weird circumstances of actuality, but
friends of one world. And in outward aspect Tolla could fairly well
have been a cultured girl of our Orient.

* * * * *

Then Jane got a shock. She tried careful questions. And Tolla
skillfully avoided everything that touched in any way upon Tako's
future plans. Yet her apparent friendliness, and a certain girlish
volubility continued.

And then, at one point, Tolla asked:

"Are you beautiful in Bermuda?"

"Why, yes," said Jane. "I guess so."

"I am beautiful in my world. Tako has said so."

"You love him, don't you?" Jane said abruptly.

"Yes. That is true." There was no hint of embarrassment. Her pale
blue eyes stared at Jane, and she smiled a little quizzically. "Does
it show so quickly upon my face that you saw it at once? I am called
Tolla because I am pledged soon to enter Tako's harem."

Upon impulse Jane put her arm around the other girl as they sat on
the couch. "I think he is very nice."

But she saw it was an error. The shadow of a frown came upon Tolla's
face; a glint of fire clouded her pale, serene eyes.