matter.

He felt in his pockets, found a small roll of bills. He laid twenty-five
dollars on the table. "I'll keep thirty," he said, "as I shan't have any
more till I see Tetlow to-morrow. Now, fly out and amuse yourself. I'm
going to sleep. Don't wake me till you're ready for dinner."

And he went into his bedroom and closed the door. When he awoke, he saw
that it was dark outside, and some note in the din of street noises from
far below made him feel that it was late. He wrapped a bathrobe round
him, opened the door into the sitting room. It was dark.

"Dorothy!" he called.

"Yes," promptly responded the small quiet voice, so near that he started
back.

"Oh!" he exclaimed, and switched on the light. "There you are--by the
window. What were you doing, in the dark?"

She was dressed precisely as when he had last seen her. She was sitting
with her hands listless in her lap and her face a moving and beautiful
expression of melancholy dreams. On the table were the bills--where he
had laid them. "You've been out?" he said.

"No," she replied.

"Why not?"

"I've been--waiting."

"For what?" laughed he.

"For--I don't know," she replied. "Just waiting."

"But there's nothing to wait for."

She looked at him interrogatively. "No--I suppose not," she said.

He went back into his room and glanced at his watch. "Eleven o'clock!"
he cried. "Why didn't you wake me? You must be nearly starved."

"Yes, I am hungry," said she.

Her patient, passive resignation irritated him. "I'm ravenous," he said.
"I'll dress--and you dress, too. We'll go downstairs to supper."

When he reappeared in the sitting room, in a dinner jacket, she was
again seated near the window, hands listless in her lap and eyes gazing
dreamily into vacancy. But she was now dressed in the black chiffon and
the big black hat. He laughed. "You are prompt and obedient," said he.
"Nothing like hunger to subdue."

A faint flush tinged her lovely skin; the look of the child that has
been struck appeared in her eyes.

He cast about in his mind for the explanation. Did she think he meant it
was need that had brought her meekly back to him? That was true enough,
but he had not intended to hint it. In high good humor because he was so
delightfully hungry and was about to get food, he cried: "Do cheer up!
There's nothing to be sad about--nothing."

She lifted her large eyes and gazed at him timidly. "What are you going
to do with me?"

"Take you downst