ined before the doorway. He stepped to one side, and bowed
formally to the three women, who rose promptly as they realized the
significance of his action. Cicily, too, stood up, wordless in her
suffering. For the moment, at least, her indomitable spirit was
overwhelmed by this crowning misfortune, and she felt all her ambition
hopelessly baffled. Through this last catastrophe, her benevolent
scheming must be brought to nought. It was impossible for her to believe
that these women, on whose support she had relied for so much that was
vital to her plans, could remain loyal to her after the gross insult to
which they had been subjected in her own house. She realized that,
deprived of their aid, she could not hope to cope with the situation
that threatened ruin to the man whom she loved. In that instant of
disaster, she hated her husband as much as she loved him, for his folly
had destroyed all the structure of safety that her devotion had builded.
So, she stood silent, watching the discarded guests as they walked
toward the door. Her slender form was drawn to its full height; the
scarlet lips were set tensely; the clear gold of her eyes burned with
the fires of bitter resentment against this man whose blundering had
wrought calamity.

CHAPTER XV

Even as the three outraged women moved forward slowly toward the door
with that slowness which their dignity demanded of them under the
circumstances, there came an interruption.

A servant appeared in the doorway, and then stood aside to usher in
three newcomers. These were no others than Mr. McMahon, Mr. Schmidt and
Mr. Ferguson, who halted in astonishment on the threshold, at beholding
their wives thus unexpectedly bearing down on them in the house of the
enemy. In their turn, the women came to an abrupt standstill, regarding
the men with round eyes. For a few seconds, the six remained thus facing
one another, too dumfounded by the encounter for speech.

Then, presently, the German uttered a guttural ejaculation in his own
tongue, which seemed to relieve the general paralysis.

"Caught with the goods!" Ferguson exclaimed sardonically, with a scowl
of rebuke directed toward his daughter.

At the same moment, McMahon fairly shouted an indignant question at his
wife as to her presence in this house. But that Amazonian female did not
shrivel before the blistering growl of her husband.

"Sure, I'll trouble you, Mike McMahon," she declared fiercely, "if it's
endearing