be swirling in a mill race. When I
think of my life in Mullion House and my life here!"

Charmian, with a quick movement, sat upright on the sofa.

"Then you do realize--" she began, almost excitedly. She paused, gazing
at Claude.

The two men looked at her.

"What is it?" Claude said at length, as she remained silent.

"You do realize that I did see something for you that you hadn't seen
for yourself, when you shut yourself and your talent in, when you
wouldn't look at, wouldn't touch the world?"

"Of course. I hadn't courage then. I dreaded contact with life. Now I
defy life to get the better of me. I know it, and I'm beginning to know
how to deal with it. I say, let us plan out our campaign if Madame
Sennier persists in her accusations."

He sat down between them.

"But first tell us exactly what you gave out to the pressmen to-night,"
said Alston.

They talked till the dawn crept along the sky.

When at last Alston got up to go, Claude said:

"If three strong wills are worth anything we must succeed."

"And we've got Crayford's back of ours," said Alston, putting his arms
behind him into the sleeves of his coat. "Good-morning! I'm really
going."

And he went.

Charmian had got up from her sofa, and was standing by the
writing-table, which was in an angle of the room on the right of the
window. As Alston went out, her eyes fell on an envelope lying by itself
a little apart from the letters with which the table was strewn.
Scarcely thinking about what she was doing she stretched out her hand.
Her intention was to put the envelope with its fellows. But when she
took it up she saw that it had not been opened and contained a letter,
or note, addressed to Claude.

"Why, here's a letter for you, Claudie!" she said, giving it to him.

"Is there? Another autograph hunter, I suppose."

Without glancing at the writing he tore the envelope, took out a letter,
and began to read it.

"It's from Mrs. Shiffney!" he said. "She arrived to-day on the same ship
as Gillier."

"I knew she would come!" cried Charmian. "Though they all pretended she
was going to winter at Cap Martin."

"And she's brought Susan Fleet with her."

"Susan!"

"But read what she says. It seems to have all been quite unexpected, a
sudden caprice."

"You poor thing!" said Charmian, looking at him with pitiful eyes. "When
will you begin to understand?"

"What?"

"Us."

Claude sent a glance so keen that it was almost like a dart