oor without had come the fumble of a key and,
in the hall, she caught the almost noiseless tread of her lover. As he
entered she got from her seat. Loftus had his hat on. He took it off,
put it down on the table and taking a cigar from his pocket lit it at
the chimney of a lamp that was there.

At the conclusion of the operation he looked at her. Her dress was
canary. From the short loose sleeves lace fell that was repeated at
the neck. There a yellow sapphire had been pinned. As he looked at
her, she looked at him.

"I have something to say to you, Marie," he began.

With an uplift of the chin she answered: "And I, Royal, have something
to say to you."

"The usual thing, I suppose. Well, shy a teacup at me if you like, but
spare me a scene."

As he spoke he seated himself. "Marie," he at once resumed, "I shall
have to take my mother up the Hudson shortly----"

The girl interrupted him. "Does Mrs. Annandale go too?"

The man's cigar had gone out. He relighted it. "No," he replied, "the
last time I saw her she said something about going West."

"Ah!" Marie exclaimed, and immediately with that curious intuition
which women that really love possess she added, "to Dakota?"

"Perhaps," replied Loftus with a puff. The surety of the shot amazed
him, but of the amazement he gave no sign. "Perhaps, though I do not
remember that she said just where she did intend to go." He drew in a
large mouthful of smoke, which leisurely he blew forth. It circled
about her. She moved away. "Oh, excuse me," he said, "I did not
mean--" The girl made a gesture of indifference. "You see," he began
again, "the point is just here. My mother is not well. She rather
wants me with her this summer. In the circumstances I thought you
might like to go abroad."

Marie, through half-closed eyes, cautiously peered at him. "Without
you?" she asked.

Loftus nodded.

"For good?"

To this Loftus made no answer. Provided she went, though it were for
bad, he did not much care.

Marie, who had been standing, crossed the room and recrossed it. A
year before she had suggested the kitten. Where that had been the
leopard had come. In her movements were the same supple ease, the same
grace and alertness. Suddenly at the table where he sat she stopped,
rested a hand on it and bending a little looked him in the face.

"Liar," she muttered. "Liar! I know and so do you. Yes, I knew it
almost from the first, but, though I knew it, I tried as hard to
dece