the room, "you
are like that--you really are! You just take life by the throat and you
are sure of yourself in a way that frightens me."

"Oh, come, Aunt Emily, that girl has caught you by her nonsense. See
here, let us do a bit of sleuthing! I bet the sibyl often is at dinners
where we go--and I'm not so sure but what I would know those hands of
hers anywhere--they were not ordinary hands. Two can play at her little
game."

This seemed to offer some inducement to Mrs. Tweksbury and she
brightened.

"Her walk, too, Ken. Did you notice that?"

"Yes--I did, by Jove! Longer strides than most girls take and a swing
from the hips like a graceful dance motion. Yes, that walk should be a
dead give-away."

"And her eyes, Ken, she _has_ eyes!"

"Yes," rather musingly, "she has eyes!"

"Ken, we mustn't give further countenance to this silly, faddy place."

This with conviction.

"Why should we, Aunt Emily? I only went at your request, you know."

"Of course. The girl got on my nerves." Mrs. Tweksbury could smile now.

"Well, I'm going to get on hers!" Raymond set his jaw.

Two days later Kenneth Raymond went to the Brier Bush again for
luncheon. This time Mrs. Tweksbury did not accompany him.

He took a table at the far end of the room near the windows--he wanted
light. He ordered his luncheon, read his paper, and to all intents and
purposes gave the impression of a business man who, having discovered a
place of good food, repaired to it with confidence. Of course Elspeth
Gordon did not remember him--why should she? But Joan did--and why
should she? She was reading the palms of a hilarious group near the
table at which Raymond sat reading the stock reports; she was in a gale
of high spirits but, when she was aware of Raymond's glance, she paused
and caught her breath.

"Anything bad in my hand?" asked the girl whose palm Joan was scanning.

"Oh, no! Something splendid. You are never to make mistakes, because
your caution is stronger than your desire," Joan murmured.

"I think _that_ is stupid," the girl returned; "no fun in that kind of
thing."

Joan prolonged each reading at the safe, jolly table; she planned, when
she was done, to ignore the man near her and go in the opposite
direction, but while she planned she was aware that she would do no such
thing. The bird and the snake know this force, so do the moon and the
tides.

And at last Joan got up and turned toward Raymond. As she passed his
table--he