er question.

"Have you and Mr. Cressy met before?"

He raised his head with a jerk and looked at her a moment in
astonishment.

"Do you mind if I answer your question American fashion by asking
another?" he said presently. "What put it into your head that we may
have met before?"

"The way you looked at each other at the club, and again this morning."

Kerr shook his head. "You are an observant young person! The fact is,
I've never met him--of that I'm certain, but I believe I've seen him
before, and for the life of me, I can't think where. At the moment you
spoke I was trying to remember."

"Was it in this country?" Flora prompted, hopeful of fishing something
definite out of this vagueness.

"No, it was years ago. It must have been in England." He looked at her
inquiringly, as if he expected her to help him.

"Oh, Harry's been in England," she said quickly; and then, with a
flashing thought, came to her the one scene Harry had mentioned in his
English experience. Was it at a ball? The question came to her lips, but
she checked it there. She remembered how Harry had stopped her the night
before with a nod, with a look, from mentioning that very thing. Still
she hesitated--for the temptation was strong. But no; it was only loyal
to Harry to speak to him first.

"So you're not going to tell me?" Kerr remarked, and she came back to a
sudden consciousness of how her face must have reflected her thought.

"No--not this time!" she said, smiling, though somewhat flushed.

He knitted his brows at her. They had reached the arched gate, and the
car that would carry her home was approaching.

"Ah, then, I am afraid it will be never," he said.

Was it possible this was their last meeting? Did he mean he was going
away? The questions formed in her mind, but there was no time for words.
He had stopped the car with a flick of his agile cane, and handed her in
as if he had handed her into a carriage; and not a word as to whether
they would see each other again, though she hoped and hesitated to the
last moment.

Her hand was in his for the fraction of a minute. Then the car was
widening the distance between them, and she was no longer looking into
his face, which had seemed at their last moment both merry and wistful,
but back at his diminishing figure, showing black against the pale
Presidio hills.

V

ON GUARD

He had so disturbed her, his presence had so obliterated other presences
and annihilated ti