aid she found there. I
stood humbled and rebuked, as a man must do when the best in him is laid
out before his sight by a good woman.

A maidservant brought in tea, set the table, and departed, Eleanor drew
off her gloves and my glance fell on her right hand.

"It's good of you to wear my ring to-day," I said.

"To-day?" she echoed, with the tiniest touch of injury in her voice. "Do
you think I put it on to just please you to-day?"

"It would have been gracious of you to do so," said I.

"It wouldn't," she declared. "It would have been mawkish and
sentimental. When we parted I told you to do what you liked with the
ring. Do you remember? You put it on this finger"--she waved her right
hand--"and there it has stayed ever since."

I caught the hand and touched it lightly with my lips. She coloured
faintly.

"Two lumps of sugar and no milk, I think that's right?" She handed me
the tea-cup.

"It's like you not to have forgotten."

"I'm a practical person," she replied with a laugh.

Presently she said, "Tell me more about your illness--or rather your
recovery. I know nothing except that you had a successful operation
which all the London surgeons said was impossible. Who nursed you?"

"I had a trained nurse," said I.

"Wasn't Madame Brandt with you?"

"Yes," said I. "She was very good to me. In fact, I think I owe her my
life."

Hitherto the delicacy of the situation had caused me to refer to Lola
no more than was necessary, and in my narrative I had purposely left her
vague.

"That's a great debt," said Eleanor.

"It is, indeed."

"You're not the man to leave such a debt unpaid?"

"I try to repay it by giving Madame Brandt my devoted friendship."

Her eyes never wavered as they held mine.

"That's one of the things I wanted to know. Tell me something about
her."

I felt some surprise, as Eleanor was of a nature too proud for
curiosity.

"Why do you want to know?"

"Because she interests me intensely. Is she young?"

"About thirty-two."

"Good-looking?"

"She is a woman of remarkable personality."

"Describe her."

I tried, stumbled, and halted. The effort evoked in my mind a picture
of Lola lithe, seductive, exotic, with gold flecks in her dusky, melting
eyes, with strong shapely arms that had as yet only held me motherwise,
with her pantherine suggestion of tremendous strength in languorous
repose, with her lazy gestures and parted lips showing the wonderful
white even teeth, with a