inst the sky. "Oh, those
black roofs, those horrible black roofs!" she muttered. The already
wretched light in the wretched room was burning dimmer, and Lady Beltham
turned up the wick of the lamp. As she did so she caught a sound and
stopped. "Can that be he?" she exclaimed, and hurried to the door.
"Footsteps--and a man's footsteps!"

The next moment she was sure. Someone stumbled in the passage below,
came slowly up the stairs, was on the landing.

Lady Beltham recoiled to the sofa and sank down on it, turning her back
to the door, and hiding her face in her hands.

"Valgrand!"

* * * * *

Valgrand was a man with a passion for adventure. But invariable success
in his flirtations had made him blase, and now it was only the
absolutely novel that could appeal to him. And there could certainly be
no question about the woman who had sent him the present invitation
being anything but a commonplace one! Moreover, it was not just any
woman who had asked him to keep this assignation in the outward guise of
Gurn, but the one woman in whose heart the murderer ought to inspire the
greatest abhorrence, the widow of the man whom Gurn had murdered. What
should his deportment be when he came face to face with her? That was
what preoccupied the actor as he left the theatre, and made him dismiss
the taxi in which he had started, before he reached his destination.

Valgrand came into the room slowly, and with a trained eye for effect.
He flung his cloak and hat theatrically on the arm-chair, and moved
towards Lady Beltham, who still sat motionless with her face hidden in
her hands.

"I have come!" he said in deep tones.

Lady Beltham uttered a little exclamation as if of surprise, and seemed
even more anxious to hide from him.

"Odd!" thought Valgrand. "She seems to be really upset; what can I say
to her, I wonder?"

But Lady Beltham made a great effort and sat up, looking at the actor
with strained eyes, yet striving to force a smile.

"Thank you for coming, sir," she murmured.

"It is not from you, madame, that the thanks should come," Valgrand
answered magnificently; "quite the reverse; I am infinitely grateful to
you for having summoned me. Pray believe that I would have been here
even sooner but for the delay inevitable on a first performance. But you
are cold," he broke off, for Lady Beltham was shivering.

"Yes, I am," she said almost inaudibly, mechanically pulling a scarf
over he