re, smiling and _insouciant_, stood _Lucian Davlin_!

Madeline stood like one in a nightmare, motionless and speechless.
Again, and more powerfully, came over her senses that insidious,
creeping faintness; that sickening of body and soul together.

It was not the situation alone, hazardous as it certainly was, which
filled her with this shuddering terror; it was the feeling that
vitality had almost exhausted itself. She suddenly realized the
meaning of the awful lethargy that seemed benumbing her faculties. The
"last straw" was now weighing her down, and, standing mute and
motionless she was putting forth all her will power to comprehend the
situation, grasp and master it.

Like a dark stone image Henry stood, his hand upon the open door, his
eyes fastened upon the man blocking the way.

Davlin, whose first thought had been that the open door was to welcome
his approach, realized in an instant as he gazed upon Madeline, that
he was about to be defied. There was no mistaking the expression of
the face, so white and set. He elevated his eyebrows in an elaborate
display of astonishment.

"Just in time, I should say," removing his hat with mock courtesy, and
stepping across the threshold. "Not going out without an escort, my
dear? Surely not. Really, I owe a debt of gratitude to my friends down
town, for boring me so insufferably, else I should have missed you, I
fear."

No answer; no change in the face or attitude of the girl before him.

"Close that door, sir, and take yourself off," he said, turning to
Henry.

Remembering her words, "You can serve me best here," Henry bowed with
unusual humility, and went out.

[Illustration: "There, smiling and _insouciant_, stood _Lucian
Davlin_!"--page 88.]

"I don't think she is afraid of him," he muttered, as he went down the
hall; "anyhow, I won't be far away, in case she needs me."

Lucian Davlin folded his arms with insolent grace, and leaning lazily
against the closed door, gazed, with his wicked half smile, upon the
pale girl before him.

Thus for a few moments they faced each other, without a word. At
length, she broke the silence. Advancing a step, she looked him full
in the face and said, in a calm, even tone:

"Open that door, sir, and let me pass."

"Phew--w--w!" he half whistled, half ejaculated, opening wide his
insolent eyes. "How she commands us; like a little empress, by Jove!
Might the humblest of your adorers be permitted to ask where you were
goi