was no sooner closed than Donnegan had raised the body of the
sleeper. Once, as he rose, straining, it nearly slipped from his arms;
and when he stood erect he staggered. But once he had gained his
equilibrium, he carried the wounded man easily enough to the window
through which George reached his long arms and lifted out the burden.

"You see?" said Donnegan, panting, to the girl.

"Yes; it was really wonderful!"

"You are laughing, now."

"I? But hurry. My father has a fox's ear for noises."

"He will not hear this, I think." There was a swift scuffle, very soft
of movement.

"Nelly!" called a far-off voice.

"Hurry, hurry! Don't you hear?"

"You forgive me?"

"No--yes--but hurry!"

"You will remember me?"

"Mr. Donnegan!"

"Adieu!"

She caught a picture of him sitting in the window for the split part of
a second, with his hat off, bowing to her. Then he was gone. And she
went into the hall, panting with excitement.

"Heavens!" Nelly Lebrun murmured. "I feel as if I had been hunted, and I
must look it. What if he--" Whatever the thought was she did not
complete it. "It may have been for the best," added Nelly Lebrun.

29

It is your phlegmatic person who can waken easily in the morning, but an
active mind readjusts itself slowly to the day. So Nelly Lebrun roused
herself with an effort and scowled toward the door at which the hand was
still rapping.

"Yes?" she called drowsily.

"This is Nick. May I come in?"

"This is who?"

The name had brought her instantly into complete wakefulness; she was
out of the bed, had slipped her feet into her slippers and whipped a
dressing gown around her while she was asking the question. It was a
luxurious little boudoir which she had managed to equip. Skins of the
lynx, cunningly matched, had been sewn together to make her a rug, and
the soft fur of the wildcat was the outer covering of her bed. She threw
back the tumbled bedclothes, tossed half a dozen pillows into place,
transforming it into a day couch, and ran to the mirror.

And in the meantime, the deep voice outside the door was saying: "Yes,
Nick. May I come in?"

She gave a little ecstatic cry, but while it was still tingling on her
lips, she was winding her hair into shape with lightning speed; had
dipped the tips of her fingers in cold water and rubbed her eyes awake
and brilliant, and with one circular rub had brought the color into her
cheeks.

Scarcely ten seconds from the time w