hey have frightened you," Bedient said. "Your kindness to
me----"

"Oh, I'm not really afraid," she said hastily. "It's all very
wonderful. The Senora repays me with a most devoted attention--services
of her own hand, and not a little sweet and endearing in their way....
Presently she asked me if I had met the imposing Senor Framtree. Of
course I had not. She said he had been here for many weeks, but she had
only met him a few times--always with the Senor.... 'He is the sort of
man I am not allowed to meet alone,' she said languidly, her eyelids
drawn against the yellow light. 'But I have no choice--no choice here,'
she went on, 'though I feel sorry for him.'

"I asked why, and she said he was alone in a strange country, and that
it was dreadful to be young--and alone in a strange country. Plainly
she had something more to say, so I told her to speak what was in her
mind. The substance was that Mr. Framtree had lasted much longer than
most, therefore he must be a very great artist with the cards. Many men
had come with fortunes to _The Pleiad,_ and most of them were ready to
gamble with her lord, who invariably got their money in the end. It was
not only the money, but he had a vast pride in his mastery, and in the
house he had built. It was not possible for him to continue to lose any
length of time. Then Senora Rey informed me that the two were together
now, and if she dared, she could show me some things about her lord's
house.

"I begged her to, though fearfully, you may believe. She said it was
risking murder if we were caught, but I saw she wanted to show me.
Also, I thought of many things, and it looked important--for one in my
capacity not to miss. So I asked again.... 'You see, I can refuse you
nothing,' she said. 'I love you for coming to me. I am a woman
again--even young and glad. Before you came, I was a snake crushed at
midday--that could not die until the dark.'

"I think the adventure really fascinated her, because she hates the
Senor so. Anyway, I followed through several inner rooms of oppressive
magnificence which the Spaniard reserves for his own use. Then we
entered a corridor. No lock could be seen, but the Senora touched the
panel in a certain way. It closed of itself as we entered, with the
sound of a lock indeed--a heavy, oiled, smooth-running click, but very
soft. I hated to hear it behind. The corridor was narrow and dim. It
was high, but the thickly shaded lamps were far apart and close t