her,
and welcome to Donnegan because the strain of so many distortions of the
truth was telling upon him as well. They laughed together. One hasty
glance told Donnegan that half the couples in the room were whispering
about Donnegan and Nelly Lebrun; but when he looked across the table he
saw that Nelly Lebrun had not a thought for what might be going on in
the minds of others. She was quite content.

"And the girl?" she said.

Donnegan rested his forehead upon his hand in thought. He dared not let
Nelly see his face at this moment, for the mention of Lou Macon had
poured the old flood of sorrow back upon him And therefore, when he
looked up, he was sneering.

"You know these blond, pretty girls?" he said.

"Oh, they are adorable!"

"With dull eyes," said Donnegan coldly, and a twinkle came into the
responsive eye of Nelly Lebrun. "The sort of a girl who sees a hero in
such a fellow as Jack Landis."

"And Jack is brave."

"I shouldn't have said that."

"Never mind. Brave, but such a boy."

"Are you serious?"

She looked questioningly at Donnegan and they smiled together, slowly.

"I--I'm glad it's that way," and Donnegan sighed.

"And did you really think it could be any other way?"

"I didn't know. I'm afraid I was blind."

"But the poor girl on the hill; I wish I could see her."

She was watching Donnegan very sharply again.

"A good idea. Why don't you?"

"You seem to like her?"

"Yes," said Donnegan judiciously. "She has an appealing way; I'm very
sorry for her. But I've done my best; I can't help her."

"Isn't there some way?"

"Of what?"

"Of helping her."

Donnegan laughed. "Go to your father and persuade him to send Landis
back to her."

She shook her head.

"Of course, that wouldn't do. There's business mixed up in all this, you
know."

"Business? Well, I guessed at that."

"My part in it wasn't very pleasant," she remarked sadly.

Donnegan was discreetly silent, knowing that silence extracts secrets.

"They made me--flirt with poor Jack. I really liked him!"

How much the past tense may mean!

"Poor fellow," murmured the sympathetic Donnegan. "But why," with
gathering heat, "couldn't you help me to do the thing I can't do alone?
Why couldn't you get him away from the house?"

"With Joe Rix and the Pedlar guarding him?"

"They'll be asleep in the middle of the night."

"But Jack would wake up and make a noise."

"There are things that would make him sleep through