n if you do change the subject." He turned his attention to the fire.
Where is the man, worthy of the name to whom the business of fire
building is not serious?

Presently seeing he needed help she dropped to her knees beside him and
tried to shove a piece of wood into place. In the process her numbed
fingers touched his, and he instantly dropped everything to catch her
hand in both of his.

"Your hands are as cold as ice," he said, holding them tightly, and
thanking Fate that this bounty had fallen to his lot.

She withdrew them. "You are too conscientious," she said. "That is not
part of the duty of a rescue party."

"It is, it is," said Geoffrey violently. "It is the merest humanity."

"Humanity?"

"To me, of course, if you will pin me down."

"Oh, there is no reason for the rescued to be humane."

"They ought to be grateful."

"They are."

"_Gratefuller_ then. Is it nothing that I have taken all the trouble to
be born and grow up and live just to come here for you?"

"Perhaps I could be gratefuller if there were any prospect of a fire."

"Oh, curse the fire," said Geoffrey rising from his knees. "Who minds
about it?"

"I mind very much."

"Well, you mustn't. You must not mind about anything, because it sets up
too strong a reaction in me. There's no telling what I might not do
under the stress. Come away from this dreadful place. The fires will
burn in my house, and that is where we are going."

"I can't do that," she said, looking very grave.

"You can't do anything else."

"I must wait for my brother. He's out somewhere in this storm, and if he
comes back and finds me gone--"

"Oh, your brother," said Geoffrey, "I forgot all about him. He's at my
house already. He sent me for you."

"Oh," said she, sighing with relief, and then added maliciously: "then
my plight was not revealed to you in a vision?"

"The vision is with me now."

She had to perfection, the art of allowing her mind to drift away when
she thought it advisable.

"And so you took poor Billy in?" she said.

Geoffrey coughed. "Well, in a sense," he answered.

She rose. "We'll go at once," she said. "Is it far?"

"Not very, but it is going to be hard work."

He felt more practical. His delight had slipped from him at the
realisation of her relationship to McVay. For a moment he felt
depressed, then as he saw her struggling to undo the knot that held the
comforter about her, he forgot everything but the pleasure of doing