een Mr. Pond in the Dabney House before now.

The Director had turned with businesslike indifference as Mr. Dayne
spoke her name, but his expression as he looked at her took on a sudden
half-surprised intentness which Carlisle had seen upon the faces of
strangers before now. His reply to her commonplaces of greeting was:

"Where have I met you before?"

"Nowhere, I think."

Bored with the tenor of his speech, she looked at him steadily yet
negligently for a moment; and then, releasing her gaze, continued: "This
is the assembly room, isn't it? What sort of meetings are to held here?"

A faintly quizzical look came into the man's incisive stare. "Do you
really think it worth while for me to explain, when--"

He left this beginning hanging in midair, while he turned, without
apology, to accept the humble duties of three new arrivals. Cally waited
patiently. Mrs. Berkeley Page had left her possessed of an impulse,
which she took to be almost tantamount to a resolution. She would give
at least part of her time to doing something solid....

Director Pond, turning back to her, concluded:

"When we are both well aware that you don't care a continental what
sort of meetings are going to be held here?"

"Oh, but I do, you see," replied Cally, distinctly irritated. "I'm very
much interested. One of the reasons I'm here this afternoon," she
explained, not without an under-feeling of sad nobility, "is that I am
thinking of offering myself as--as a worker."

"Oh!--As a worker."

"Yes."

"A worker. You mean it?"

She said, glancing indifferently away: "But probably Mr. Dayne is the
person I should speak to about it.... Or--perhaps Dr. Vivian...."

"What's Dayne or Vivian got to do with it? Walk a little away from the
door with me--there! Thank the Lord when this mob clears out.... So you
want to offer as a worker," said Director Pond, his face gravely
authoritative. "Good. We need workers more than money now, which is
putting it somewhat strongly. I am pleased that you will join us. When
can you move in?"

"Move in?"

"You understand, of course, that resident workers are the only ones good
for anything. You will want to live here, for a year or so at least.
Naturally the sooner you can come the better."

"Live here? Here in the Dabney House? Well, no," said Carlisle, with
open amusement, "I could hardly do that."

"Ah?" said he, without the slightest change of expression. "Well, that's
a pity.... Allow me to rai