d to her.

"Have you a mother living?" she asked.

"Yes."

"Do you think she would come and see me?"

"I am sure she would if I asked her."

She considered with herself once more. "I will tell your mother what the
obstacle is," she said, thoughtfully.

"When?"

"To-morrow, at this time."

She raised herself on her knees; the tears suddenly filled her eyes. She
drew me to her gently. "Kiss me," she whispered. "You will never come
here again. Kiss me for the last time."

My lips had barely touched hers, when she started to her feet and
snatched up my hat from the chair on which I had placed it.

"Take your hat," she said. "He has come back."

My duller sense of hearing had discovered nothing. I rose and took
my hat to quiet her. At the same moment the door of the room opened
suddenly and softly. Mr. Van Brandt came in. I saw in his face that he
had some vile motive of his own for trying to take us by surprise, and
that the result of the experiment had disappointed him.

"You are not going yet?" he said, speaking to me with his eye on Mrs.
Van Brandt. "I have hurried over my business in the hope of prevailing
on you to stay and take lunch with us. Put down your hat, Mr. Germaine.
No ceremony!"

"You are very good," I answered. "My time is limited to-day. I must beg
you and Mrs. Van Brandt to excuse me."

I took leave of her as I spoke. She turned deadly pale when she shook
hands with me at parting. Had she any open brutality to dread from Van
Brandt as soon as my back was turned? The bare suspicion of it made my
blood boil. But I thought of _her_. In her interests, the wise thing and
the merciful thing to do was to conciliate the fellow before I left the
house.

"I am sorry not to be able to accept your invitation," I said, as we
walked together to the door. "Perhaps you will give me another chance?"

His eyes twinkled cunningly. "What do you say to a quiet little dinner
here?" he asked. "A slice of mutton, you know, and a bottle of good
wine. Only our three selves, and one old friend of mine to make up
four. We will have a rubber of whist in the evening. Mary and you
partners--eh? When shall it be? Shall we say the day after to-morrow?"

She had followed us to the door, keeping behind Van Brandt while he was
speaking to me. When he mentioned the "old friend" and the "rubber of
whist," her face expressed the strongest emotions of shame and disgust.
The next moment (when she had heard him fix the date