nsfigured face towards the open
doorway.

CHAPTER XXVI

EXTRAORDINARY LOVE-MAKING

Fedora sauntered slowly around the rooms, leaning over and staking a
gold plaque here and there. She was dressed as usual in white, with an
ermine turban hat and stole and an enormous muff. Her hair seemed more
golden than ever beneath its snow-white setting, and her complexion more
dazzling. She seemed utterly unconscious of the admiration which her
appearance evoked, and she passed Lane without apparently observing him.
A moment afterwards, however, he moved to her side and addressed her.

"Quite a lucky coup of yours, that last, Miss Grex. Are you used to
winning _en plein_ like that?"

She turned her head and looked at him. Her eyebrows were ever so
slightly uplifted. Her expression was chilling. He remained, however,
absolutely unconscious of any impending trouble.

"I was sorry not to find you at home this morning," he continued. "I
brought my little racing car round for you to see. I thought you might
have liked to try her."

"How absurd you are!" she murmured. "You must know perfectly well that
it would have been quite impossible for me to come out with you alone."

"But why?"

She sighed.

"You are quite hopeless, or you pretend to be!"

"If I am," he replied, "it is because you won't explain things to me
properly. The tables are much too crowded to play comfortably. Won't you
come and sit down for a few minutes?"

She hesitated. Lane watched her anxiously. He felt, somehow, that a
great deal depended upon her reply. Presently, with the slightest
possible shrug of the shoulders, she turned around and suffered him to
walk by her side to the little antechamber which divided the gambling
rooms from the restaurant.

"Very well," she decided, "I suppose, after all, one must remember that
you did save us from a great deal of inconvenience the other night. I
will talk to you for a few minutes."

He found her an easy-chair and he sat by her side.

"This is bully," he declared.

"Is what?" she asked, once more raising her eyebrows.

"American slang," he explained penitently. "I am sorry. I meant that it
was very pleasant to be here alone with you for a few minutes."

"You may not find it so, after all," she said severely. "I feel that I
have a duty to perform."

"Well, don't let's bother about that yet, if it means a lecture," he
begged. "You shall tell me how much better the young women of your
country b