ed me to a glance of absolute
animosity. No recognition was there, and no friendliness--only a sort of
scornful anger."

He shrugged his shoulders and began to walk up and down the room.

"I do not know what you would have done in the circumstances, Petrie,
but I--"

"Yes?"

"I dealt with the situation rather promptly, I think. I simply picked
her up without another word, right there in the public street, and raced
back into the house, with her kicking and fighting like a little demon!
She did not shriek or do anything of that kind, but fought silently like
a vicious wild animal. Oh! I had some scars, I assure you; but I carried
her up into my office, which fortunately was empty at the time, plumped
her down in a chair, and stood looking at her."

"Go on," I said rather hollowly; "what next?"

"She glared at me with those wonderful eyes, an expression of implacable
hatred in them! Remembering all that we had done for her; remembering
our former friendship; above all, remembering you--this look of hers
almost made me shiver. She was dressed very smartly in European fashion,
and the whole thing had been so sudden that as I stood looking at her I
half expected to wake up presently and find it all a day-dream. But it
was real--as real as her enmity. I felt the need for reflection, and
having vainly endeavored to draw her into conversation, and elicited no
other answer than this glare of hatred--I left her there, going out and
locking the door behind me."

"Very high-handed?"

"A commissioner has certain privileges, Petrie, and any action I might
choose to take was not likely to be questioned. There was only one
window to the office, and it was fully twenty feet above the level; it
overlooked a narrow street off the main thoroughfare (I think I have
explained that the house stood on a corner) so I did not fear her
escaping. I had an important engagement which I had been on my way to
fulfil when the encounter took place, and now, with a word to my native
servant--who chanced to be downstairs--I hurried off."

Smith's pipe had gone out as usual, and he proceeded to relight it,
whilst, with my eyes lowered, I continued to drum upon the table.

"This boy took her some tea later in the afternoon," he continued,
"and apparently found her in a more placid frame of mind. I returned
immediately after dusk, and he reported that when last he had looked in,
about half an hour earlier, she had been seated in an armchair readi