ined by circumstances and the opinions of those around her
to assume a distrust of him which she did not truly feel, was plain to
him; but it was clear that, whatever she felt, she would obey her
father's directions in regard to him. And she had told that Basil
Santoine, if he was to hold his prisoner as almost a guest in his house
pending developments, was to keep that guest strictly from
communication with any one outside. Santoine, of course, was aware
from the telegram that others had been acting with Eaton; the incident
at the telephone had shown that Santoine had anticipated that Eaton's
first necessity would be to get in touch with his friends. And this,
now, indeed was a necessity. The gaining of Santoine's house, under
conditions which he would not have dared to dream of, would be
worthless now unless immediately--before Santoine could get any further
trace of him--he could get word to and receive word from his friends.

He had stopped, after leaving Santoine's study, in the alcove of the
hall in front of the double doors which he had closed behind him; he
heard Harriet fasten the inner one. As he stood now, undecided where
to go, a young woman crossed the main part of the hall, coming
evidently from outside the house--she had on hat and jacket and was
gloved; she was approaching the doors of the room he just had left, and
so must pass him. He stared at sight of her and choked; then, he
controlled himself rigidly, waiting until she should see him.

She halted suddenly as she saw him and grew very pale, and her gloved
hands went swiftly to her breast and pressed against it; she caught
herself together and looked swiftly and fearfully about her and out
into the hall. Seeing no one but himself, she came a step nearer,
"Hugh!" she breathed. Her surprise was plainly greater than his own
had been at sight of her; but she checked herself again quickly and
looked warningly back at the hall; then she fixed on him her blue
eyes--which were very like Eaton's, though she did not resemble him
closely in any other particular--as though waiting his instructions.

He passed her and looked about the hall. There was no one in sight in
the hall or on the stairs or within the other rooms which opened into
the hall. The door Eaton had just come from stayed shut. He held his
breath while he listened; but there was no sound anywhere in the house
which told him they were likely to be seen; so he came back to the spot
wher