e narrow vehicle; and they sat
through the snowy journey in utter silence until the cab drew up at his
door.

Then he said: "Are you not going home?"

"Not yet."

They descended, stood in the falling snow while he settled with the
driver, then entered the great building, ascended in the elevator, and
stepped out at his door.

He found his latch-key; the door swung slowly open on darkness.

CHAPTER VII

An electric lamp was burning in the hallway; he threw open the
connecting doors of the studio where a light gleamed high on the
ceiling, and stood aside for her to pass him.

She stepped across the threshold into the subdued radiance, stood for a
moment undecided, then:

"Are you coming in?" she asked, cheerfully, quite aware of his
ill-temper. "Because if you are, you may take off my coat for me."

He crossed the threshold in silence, and divested her of the fur garment
which was all sparkling with melting snow.

"Do let's enjoy the firelight," she said, turning out the single ceiling
lamp; "and please find some nice, big crackly logs for the fire,
Kelly!--there's a treasure!"

His frowning visage said: "Don't pretend that it's all perfectly
pleasant between us"; but he turned without speaking, cleared a big
arm-chair of its pile of silks, velvets, and antique weapons, and pushed
it to the edge of the hearth. Every movement he made, his every attitude
was characterised by a sulky dignity which she found rather funny, now
that the first inexplicable consternation of meeting him had subsided.
And already she was wondering just what it was that had startled her;
why she had left the cafe with him; why _he_ had left; why he seemed to
be vexed with her. For her conscience, in regard to him, was perfectly
clear and serene.

"Now the logs, Kelly, dear," she said, "the kind that catch fire in a
second and make frying-pan music, please."

He laid three or four logs of yellow birch across the bed of coals. The
blaze caught swiftly, mounting in a broad sheet of yellow flame, making
their faces brilliant in the darkness; and the tall shadows leaped
across floor and wall and towered, wavering above them from the ruddy
ceiling.

"Kelly!"

"What?"

"I wish you a Happy New Year."

"Thank you. I wish you the same."

"Come over here and curl up on the hearth and drop your head back on my
knees, and tell me what is the trouble--you sulky boy!"

He did not appear to hear her.

"Please?--" with a slight r