little I do not know," smiled Keralio ironically, as he
blew a ring of cigar smoke up to the ceiling.

His curiosity aroused, the president of the A. A. M. Co. was about to
question his companion farther, but at that moment Helen rose from the
desk and came toward them.

"I'm not in the humor to write now," she said. "I'd rather talk."
Sitting in a chair near them, she added quickly: "Won't you let me get
you some tea?"

Both men shook their heads. Mr. Parker rose. With a mischievous
twinkle in his eye, he said:

"I'll go over to the others and take a hand at bridge. I want to make
some money, Signor--I'll leave you to entertain Mrs. Traynor."

With a courteous salutation to his hostess, a graceful act of
chivalrous politeness of which he was a past master, Mr. Parker crossed
the room in the direction of the card table.

CHAPTER VI

An awkward silence followed the president's departure. Helen would
have detained him had she dared. Being alone with Keralio was very
distasteful to her. Ill at ease in such close proximity to this man,
whom she feared even more than she disliked, she sat still without
saying a word. Presently between puffs of his cigar, he said:

"You really don't mind my smoking?"

"Oh, not at all."

He bowed and again relapsed into silence. She looked at him sideways
and wondered why this foreigner had always inspired her with such
dislike. His manner was courteous, and he was decidedly handsome. He
had white teeth and fine eyes. They were bold eyes, but so were the
eyes of other men. They had a habit of looking a woman through and
through. She always felt embarrassed under his close scrutiny. It
seemed to her as if he were undressing her mentally and took pleasure
in surveying critically and admirably every part of her as a
connoisseur examines a statue. She had an uncomfortable feeling when
near him. She was afraid to look straight in his eyes, afraid that
possibly he might be able to throw some spell over her, exert some
hypnotic influence that she would not be able to resist. She
considered him a seductive, dangerous man, the kind of man every pure
woman, every wife who wishes to remain faithful to her marriage vows
should avoid.

Suddenly while she was looking at him, he turned his head toward her.
Before she could prevent it their eyes met.

He did not avert his gaze, but kept his eyes fixed on hers as if trying
to awaken in her some of his own ardor. She tri