e of youth; and in its place gave an
air of cynical maturity, which, reckoning by actual length of years, was
as deceptive as the former illusion.

"Well?" She came further into the room and spoke interrogatively.

"Well?" Herrick turned to face her. "Mrs. Rose's disappearance is rather
remarkable, don't you think?"

"Very." For the life of him Herrick could not fathom her tone. "But
since Toni is a free agent and not a slave, I expect she's gone out on
business of her own."

"Queer time for business--nine o'clock on a foggy night," Herrick
reminded her quietly.

"Well, I daresay she got fed up with the house--and the weather--and
went off to London for a spree." Eva laughed rather hardly. "A theatre
would be a blessed relief after the dulness of this place."

"She would not be likely to go alone."

"Oh, I daresay she would pick up some man to go with."

"Don't speak like that, Eva, please. Mrs. Rose is not the sort of girl
to 'pick up' anybody."

"Oh, isn't she?" Eva laughed again. "Your precious Toni isn't a saint,
you know. Because her husband is a fool and neglects her, that doesn't
say Toni is too meek and mild to have friends of her own."

Herrick turned to her angrily.

"Look here, Eva, I won't have you insinuating such things. Mrs. Rose may
not be a saint--I never met one, by the way--but she is a thoroughly
straight girl; and any friends she might make would be lucky fellows, I
can tell you."

Eva smiled rather scornfully.

"Even you are taken in by her big eyes and her quiet ways. Well, you'll
all of you get a surprise one of these days, when you find that Toni is
as wide-awake as anybody else, and knows a thing or two you don't
suspect her of."

"Eva, you are talking nonsense, and you know it." Herrick was seriously
annoyed. "I imagined--foolishly--that you were a friend of Toni Rose;
and it never entered my head you would say spiteful things of this sort
about her."

He broke off.

"Unless----" He hesitated, his eyes full of a vague trouble.

"Well? Unless--what?"

"Oh, but that's absurd." He pulled himself together and spoke
decisively. "I was going to say, unless you had some reason for speaking
so; unless you knew something we don't know--and of course you don't."

"Of course not." This time the mockery in her tone was perceptible; and
Herrick questioned her hastily.

"Eva, what do you mean? Do you know anything which would throw a light
on Mrs. Rose's disappearance?"

But Eva