tenant
of Braster Grange, somewhere between seven and eight o'clock, and barely
an hour later I found myself alone in a first-class carriage with her,
and a four hours' journey before us. She had arrived at King's Cross
apparently only a few minutes before the departure of the train, for the
platform was almost deserted when I took my seat. Just as I had changed
my hat for a cap, however, wrapped my rug around my knees, and settled
down for the journey, the door of my carriage was thrown open, and I saw
two women looking in, one of whom I recognized at once. Mrs.
Smith-Lessing, although the night was warm, was wearing a heavy and
magnificent fur coat, and the guard of the train himself was attending
her. Behind stood a plainly dressed woman, evidently her maid, carrying
a flat dressing-case. There was a brief colloquy between the three. It
ended in dressing-case, a pile of books, a reading lamp, and a
formidable array of hat-boxes, and milliner's parcels being placed upon
the rack and vacant seats in my compartment, and immediately afterwards
Mrs. Smith-Lessing herself entered. I heard her tell her maid to enter
the carriage behind. The door was closed and the guard touched off his
hat. A minute later and we were off.

I was alone with the adventuress. I had no doubt but that she had
chosen my carriage with intent. I placed my dispatch-box on the rack
above my head, and opened out a newspaper, which I had no intention of
reading. She, for her part, arranged her travelling light and took out
a novel. She did not apparently even glance in my direction, and seemed
to become immersed at once in her reading. So we travelled for half an
hour or so.

At the end of that time I was suddenly conscious that she had laid down
her book, and was regarding me through partially-closed eyes. I too
laid down my paper. Our eyes met, and she smiled.

"Forgive me," she said, "but did I not see you one day last week upon
the sands at Braster with Lady Angela Harberly?"

"I believe so," I answered. "You were riding, I think, with her
brother."

"How fortunate that I should find myself travelling with a neighbour!"
she murmured. "I rather dreaded this night journey. I just missed the
six o'clock, and I have been at the station ever since."

I understood at once one of the charms of this woman. Her voice was
deliciously soft and musical. The words seemed to leave her lips
slowly, almost lingeringly, and she spoke with the precision and s