"Not to leave you, miss?"

"To leave me for another woman."

"Then hanging is too good for him."

Loftus gestured at the negress. "I say," he called. "Did you hear what
I told you? Go away and hold your tongue."

Blanche's eyes that had rolled whitely before were rolling now not
merely whitely but wildly.

"I won't go away, sir. I won't hold my tongue, sir. I am as good as
you, sir. I have a son that's better nor you, sir. He wouldn't treat a
lady as you have her, sir. Staying away from her as you have, sir.
Making her eat her heart out, sir. No, sir, I won't hold my tongue,
sir."

And Blanche, mounting in paroxysms of indignation, shouted: "For the
Lord's sake, sir. Hanging is too good for you, sir. You ought to have
your ghost kicked. Yes, sir."

"Oh, hell!" muttered Loftus between his teeth, and turning on his
heel, he stalked out, flecking from his sleeve as he went an imaginary
speck.

CHAPTER IV

THE RETURN OF THE YELLOW FAY

In Fanny's drawing-room the next evening, at six minutes after eight,
Loftus appeared. Although tolerably punctual, others had preceded him.
On a sofa with Fanny was Sylvia Waldron. On another sofa were Mrs.
Waldron and Melanchthon Orr. Annandale, who seemed to have lost flesh,
was standing in the middle of the floor.

"How are you?" he asked as Loftus entered.

"And you?"

"They did me," Annandale answered. "Atch., U. P., St. Paul, Steel, I
had the list." As he spoke he mopped himself. Then in confidential
aside, he added, "It has affected my stomach. It is as though I had a
hole there. Will you have a sherry and bitters?"

Loftus moved forward to where Sylvia and Fanny sat. Fanny gave him a
finger; Sylvia, a little distant nod. She was dressed in white. About
her neck was a string of pearls. Fanny was in a frock of tender
asparagus green fluttered with lace, very cool to the eye and cut
rather low.

"I hope Arthur isn't hurt much," said Loftus.

"Are you?" Fanny asked.

"No. I have been selling. Today I covered. It was not easy, though.
Everybody was crazy. I have never seen a panic before."

"It will be a generation before you see another," Orr, from across the
room, called out.

At the further end of the room Harris, Annandale's former valet, since
promoted to the position of butler, appeared, smug-faced and solemn,
in silent announcement of dinner.

For the time being the subject was abandoned, but presently when at
table all were seated it was res