arance and manners of a
cultured woman, presenting indeed a figure of great elegance as she
stood there with her tall slender form outlined by the moonlight which
slanted down through the trees to form a scimitar of light upon the
path behind her.

Of course I could never have acted upon this singular instinct, but
the decision was taken out of my hands; for suddenly my visitor
uttered a low cry of fear, swayed dizzily and seemed about to fall.

Perforce I stepped forward to support her and before I knew what had
happened, she had tottered into the passage, resting heavily upon my
shoulder.

"Close the door!" she said in that low husky voice. "Quick! Quick! I
have seen them again!"

An unpleasant chill communicated itself to me.

"The eyes!" she whispered. "Two great eyes have followed me! That was
why I knocked at your door. I was afraid."

It was enough, the mention of two great eyes. Leaving my visitor
temporarily to take care of herself, I sprang to the door and closed
it hurriedly. As I turned, in the light from the partly open study
door I saw the woman walking slowly ahead of me. I overtook her,
holding the door fully open for her to pass in.

"Please sit down a while," I said. "You have evidently been seriously
alarmed."

Still there was no sign from Coates, whose voice would have been
welcome music to my ears, for I could not reconcile myself to this
woman's presence, strive how I might, nor could I understand how she
had come to be wandering alone in such a place at that hour. One bond
of sympathy there was between us. I could forgive any one fearing
those awful eyes, for I had feared them myself; and I could no longer
doubt that some strange apparition was haunting the vicinity.

"Believe me, I quite understand," I said, turning to my visitor. "It
is most extraordinary, but I believe there is some unusually large cat
frequenting the neighborhood at present."

I stood by the side table and was on the point of pouring out a glass
of water when the woman raised her white-gloved hand in a gesture of
refusal.

"Thank you," she said, "thank you, but I am quite recovered, and
indeed if the cause of my alarm is no more than a cat, as you say, I
will proceed."

She laughed, and her laughter was low-pitched, but very musical. In
the light of the shaded table-lamp I could see the gleam of white
teeth through her veil, but I could not imagine why she swathed
herself in that manner. Yet in spite of this e