he arm of the chair and began to cry wretchedly.

"My dear, my dear," said I, bewildered by this tornado of misery. "My
dear," said I, putting an arm round her shoulders, "what is the matter?"

"I'm a fool," she wailed. "I know I'm a fool, but I can't help it. I
went in there just now. I didn't know they were there. Susan's music
mistress came and I had to go out of the nursery--and I went into the
drawing-room. Oh, it's hard, Hilary, dear--it's damned hard."

"My poor Liosha," said I.

"There doesn't seem to be a place in the world for me."

"There's lots of places in our hearts," I said as soothingly as I could.
But the assurance gave her little comfort. Her body shook.

"I wish the cargo had killed me," she said.

I waited for a little, then rose and made her sit in my chair. I drew
another near her.

"Now," said I. "Tell me all about it."

And she told me in her broken way.

* * * * *

She walked into the drawing-room thinking to find Barbara. Instead, she
sailed into a surging sea of passion. Doria crouched on a sofa hiding
her face--the flame, poor little elf in the Nessus shirt, had been
lapping her round, and with both hands outstretched she motioned away
Jaffery who stood over her.

"Don't touch me, don't touch me! I couldn't bear it!" she cried; and
then, aware of Liosha's sudden presence, she started to her feet. Liosha
did not move. The two women glared at each other.

"What do you mean by coming in here?" cried Doria.

"You had better leave us, Liosha," said Jaffery sombrely.

But Liosha stood firm. The spurning of Jaffery by Doria struck a chord
of the heroic that ran through her strange, wild nature. If this man she
loved was not for her, at least no other woman should scorn him. She
drew herself up in her full-bosomed magnificence.

"Instead of telling him not to touch you, you little fool, you ought to
fall at his feet. For what he has done for you, you ought to steal the
wide world and give it to him. And you refuse your footling little
insignificant self. If you had a thousand selves, they wouldn't be
enough for him."

"Stop!" shouted Jaffery.

She wheeled round on him. "Hold your tongue, Jaff Chayne. I guess I've
the right, if anybody has, to fix up your concerns."

"What right?" Doria demanded.

"Never mind." She took a step forward. "Oh, no; not that right! Don't
you dare to think it. Jaff Chayne doesn't care a tinker's curse for me
that way.