-by, under the mingled illumination of its half-blinded lamps,
and of a sunset which in the country was clear and golden, and here in
west London could only give a lurid coppery tinge to the fog, to the
eastern house-fronts, and to the great plane-trees holding the Square
garden, like giants encamped. Landsowne House, in its lordly seclusion
from the rest of the Square, seemed specially to have gathered the fog to
itself, and was almost lost from sight. Not a ray of light escaped the
closely-shuttered windows. The events of the _mensis mirabilis_ were
rushing on. Bulgaria, Austria, Turkey, had laid down their arms--the
German cry for an armistice had rung through Europe. But still London lay
dark and muffled. Her peril was not yet over.

In the drawing-room of one of the houses on the eastern side, belonging
to a Warwickshire baronet and M.P.--Sir Richard Winton by name--a lady
was standing in front of a thrifty fire, which in view of the coal
restrictions of the moment, she had been very unwilling to light at all.
The restrictions irritated her; so did the inevitable cold of the room;
and most of all was she annoyed and harassed by the thought of a visitor
who might appear at any moment. She was tall, well-made, and plain. One
might have guessed her age at about thirty-five. She had been out in the
earlier afternoon, attending a war meeting on behalf of some charities in
which she was interested, and she had not yet removed a high and stately
hat with two outstanding wings and much jet ornament, which she had worn
at the meeting, to the huge indignation of her neighbours. The black of
her silk dress was lightened by a rope of pearls, and various diamond
trinkets. Her dress fitted her to perfection. Competence and will were
written in her small, shrewd eyes and in the play of a decided mouth.

There was a knock at the door. At Lady Winton's "Come in!" a stout,
elderly maid appeared. She came up to her mistress, and said in a lowered
voice,--

"You'll see Mr. Roger here?"

"Why, I told you so, Nannie!" was the impatient answer. "Is everybody out
of the way?"

The maid explained that all was ready. Jones the butler had been
sent with a note to the City, and the housemaid was sitting with the
kitchen-maid, who was recovering from the flu.

"I told them I'd answer the bell. And I'll keep an eye that no one comes
down before he's gone. There he is!"

For the bell had rung, and the maid hastened to the hall door to ans