rown back, the
trouble still gleamed in her eyes. She listened intently to the hum
of voices, as though trying to distinguish those she knew.
Satisfied, apparently, that their disappearance had not occasioned
any comment, she moved forward again, motioned Arnold to open a
door, and led him down a long passage to the front of the house.
Here she opened the door of an apartment on the left-hand side of
the hall, and almost pushed him in. She closed the door quickly
behind them. Then she held up her finger.

"Listen!" she said.

They could hear nothing save the distant murmur of voices in the
music-room. The room which they had entered was in complete
darkness, through which the ivory pallor of her arms and face, and
the soft fire of her eyes, seemed to be the only things visible. She
was standing quite close to him. He could hear her breathing, he
could almost fancy that he heard her heart beat. A strand of hair
even touched his cheek as she moved.

"I do not wish to turn the light up for a moment," she whispered.
"You do not mind?"

"I mind nothing," Arnold answered, bewildered. "Are you afraid of
anything? Is there anything I can do?"

A sense of excitement was stirring him.

"Just do as I ask, that is all," she murmured. "I want to look
outside a moment. Just do as I ask and keep quiet."

She stole from him to the window and, moving the curtain a few
inches, knelt down, peering out. She remained there motionless for a
full minute. Then she rose to her feet and came back. His eyes were
becoming more accustomed to the gloom now and he could see the
outline of her figure as she moved towards him.

"Take my place there," she whispered. "Look down the drive. Tell me
whether you can see any one watching the house?"

He went down on his knees at the place she indicated and peered
through the parted curtain. For a few seconds he could see nothing;
then, as his eyes grew accustomed to the gloom, he discerned two
motionless figures standing on the left-hand side of the drive,
partly concealed by a tall laurel bush.

"I believe," he declared hoarsely, "that there are two men standing
there."

"Tell me, are they moving?" she demanded.

"They seem to be simply watching the house," he replied.

She was silent. He could hear her breath come and go.

"They still do not move?" she asked, after a few seconds.

He shook his head, and she turned away, listening to some footsteps
in the hall.

"Remember," she whisper