with any one who happened to be guilty of what he
called criminal orderliness in putting the table to rights. He wanted the
papers and magazines left just as they were, so that he could put his hand
upon them without demanding too much of a servant's powers of divination.
More than one parlour-maid had been dismissed for offensive neatness.

She closed her eyes for a second. A faint line, as of pain, appeared
between them. In this room Braden Thorpe had been coddled and scolded, in
this room he had romped and studied--She opened her eyes quickly.

"Murray," she said, in a low voice; "you are quite sure that Mr. Braden
is--is out?"

The old butler straightened up from his task, his hand going to his back
as if to keep it from creaking. "Yes, Miss Tresslyn, quite sure." He
hesitated for a moment. "I think he said that he intended to give himself
the pleasure of a call--ahem! I beg pardon. Yes, he is quite out--I should
say, I'm quite sure he is out." He was confused, a most unheard of thing
in Murray.

"But he will return--soon?" She took a step or two nearer the door,
possessed of a sudden impulse to run,--to run swiftly away.

"I think not, miss," said he. "He is not expected to be here during
the--er--you might say, the--ahem!"

"I'll have a look about the room," said Anne softly. She felt that she was
going to like Murray. She wanted him to like her. The butler may have
caught the queer little note in her voice, or he may have seen the hunted
look in her eyes before she turned them away. At any rate, he poked the
fire vigorously once more. It was his way of saying that she might depend
upon him. Then he went out of the room, closing the door behind him.

She started violently, and put her hand to her heart. She had the queer,
uncanny feeling that she was locked in this sombre room, that she would
never be free again.

In a room upstairs, Mr. Templeton Thorpe was saying to Wade:

"Is my grandson in his room?"

"Yes, sir. He came in at four and has been waiting for you, as you
directed, sir."

"Tell him that I would like to see him at once in the library," said Mr.
Thorpe.

"Yes, sir," said Wade, and for the first time in years his patient smile
assumed the proportions of a grin. He did not have to be told that Anne's
presence in the house was not to be made known to Braden. All that he was
expected to do was to inform the young man that his grandfather wanted to
see him in the library,--at once.

And s