facing the fire. As they sat down, Innocent entered the room, carrying a
tall, dewy mint julep on a tray. She was followed by another female
figure bearing a bottle of avignognac and the appurtenances which are
its due--and at the first full sight of that figure Hilton stopped
breathing for fifteen seconds.

Her hair was very thick, intensely black and long, cut squarely off just
below the lowest points of her shoulder blades. Heavy brows and long
lashes--eyes too--were all intensely, vividly black. Her skin was tanned
to a deep and glowing almost-but-not-quite-brown.

"Murchison's Dark Lady!" Hilton gasped. "Larry! You've--we've--_I've_
got that painting here?"

"Oh, yes, sir." The newcomer spoke before Larry could. "At the other
end--your part--of the room. You will look now, sir, please?" Her voice
was low, rich and as smooth as cream.

Putting her tray down carefully on the end-table, she led him toward the
other fireplace. Past the piano, past the tri-di pit; past a towering
grillwork holding art treasures by the score. Over to the left, against
the wall, there was a big, business-like desk. On the wall, over the
desk, hung _the_ painting; a copy of which had been in Hilton's room for
over eight years.

He stared at it for at least a minute. He glanced around: at the other
priceless duplicates so prodigally present, at his own guns arrayed
above the mantel and on each side of the fireplace. Then, without a
word, he started back to join Karns. She walked springily beside him.

"What's your name, Miss?" he asked, finally.

"I haven't earned any as yet, sir. My number is ..."

"Never mind that. Your name is 'Dark Lady'."

"Oh, thank you, sir; that is truly wonderful!" And Dark Lady sat
cross-legged on the rug at Hilton's feet and busied herself with the
esoteric rites of Old Avignon.

Hilton took a deep inhalation and a small sip, then stared at Karns.
Karns, over the rim of his glass, stared back.

"I can see where this would be habit-forming," Hilton said, "and very
deadly. _Extremely_ deadly."

"Every wish granted. Surrounded by all this." Karns swept his arm
through three-quarters of a circle. "Waited on hand and foot by powerful
men and by the materializations of the dreams of the greatest, finest
artists who ever lived. Fatal? I don't know...."

* * * * *

"My solid hope is that we never have to find out. And when you add in
Innocent and Dark Lady.... They _look_