ted a little at this remark; she noticed his enigmatic
smile, and her brows twitched nervously.

"I don't see what you mean," she stammered.

"I mean," said Lord Henry, his head still bowed, and his free hand
picking imaginary atoms of fluff from his trousers, "that if you tell me
the truth, our two heads may make some progress. If you deliberately
mislead me, although the task will even then not be beyond the wit of
man, it will be a little more difficult."

"But I assure you, Lord Henry," she protested, "I am not trying to
mislead you."

"Come, Miss Delarayne, come!" he remonstrated. Then he added, after a
pause, "But perhaps I am wrong in assuming that you should feel any
confidence in me. After all, why should you?"

She had never yet been in the presence of a man who inspired such
complete confidence, or who made her desire so ardently to be up and
about, active and well in his presence. Nevertheless her indomitable
pride made her moderate the manner of her reply.

"What can I say?" she exclaimed, pretending to be at the end of her
resources.

He flicked an imaginary feather from his knee. "Shall I prompt you?" he
enquired.

His coolness at once mastered and terrified her.

"How can you!" she ejaculated, her resistance failing.

"Why haven't you told me, for instance," he began, "that you have
scarcely slept for five or six nights."

Her mouth fell. "Lord Henry!"

"Why haven't you said that last night, or perhaps for the last two
nights, you have tried a certain narcotic without much success? Sleep is
a very essential thing, Miss Delarayne. One cannot go without it with
impunity. You probably realise that."

She stammered the beginning of a denial, but the words died on her lips.
She was too stiff with alarm to be able to speak. After all, vanity is a
great power even in the noblest of us.

"Miss Delarayne," Lord Henry continued, "you and I can keep a secret. I
can at any rate. Let me see whether I cannot tell you why you have tried
to mislead me."

Her ears were hot, and she glanced involuntarily towards the garden
door. Had any one else than Lord Henry revealed a fraction of his
ability to pierce her secret she would have fled.

"A good suggestion," he exclaimed, following the direction of her eyes.
"Let's sit in the garden."

He opened the door, and she walked out in front of him,--stiff, proud,
and erect. He noticed a shadow running back into the house, and presumed
it was Mrs. Delarayne.