plain fact. Looking back oveh ouh acquaintance, thah's
nothing in that young man for me to put a fingeh on; but, Tom, I tell
you in confidence, suh, I'd give five yeahs of my old life, if the good
Lord has that many mo' in His book for me, if the blood of the Dabneys
didn't have to be--uh--mingled with that of these heah damned Yankees. I
would, for a fact, suh!"

Tom rose and flung away the stub of his third cheroot.

"Then you'll let me place your third of the new stock in trust for her
and her children?" he said. "That will be best, on all accounts. By the
way, where shall I find Miss Ardea?"

"She's about the place, somewhahs," was the reply; and Tom passed on to
the electric-lighted lobby to send his card in search of her.

Chance saved him the trouble. Some one was playing in the music-room
and he recognized her touch and turned aside to stand under the looped
portieres. She was alone, and again, as many times before, it came on
him with the sense of discovery that she was radiantly beautiful--that
for him she had no peer among women.

It was the score of a Bach fugue that stood on the music-rack, and she
was oblivious to everything else until her fingers had found and struck
the final chords. Then she looked up and saw him.

There was no greeting, no welcoming light in the slate-blue eyes; and
she did not seem to see when he came nearer and offered to shake hands.

"I've been talking to your grandfather for an hour or more," he began,
"and I was just going to send my card after you. Haven't you a word of
welcome for me, Ardea?"

Her eyes were holding him at arm's length.

"Do you think you deserve a welcome from any self-respecting woman?" she
asked in low tones.

His smile became a scowl--the anger scowl of the Gordons.

"Why shouldn't I?" he demanded. "What have I done to make every woman I
meet look at me as if I were a leper?"

She rose from the piano-stool and confronted him bravely. It was now or
never, if their future attitude each to the other was to be succinctly
defined.

"You know very well what you have done," she said evenly. "If you had a
spark of manhood left in you, you would know what a dastardly thing you
are doing now in coming here to see me."

"Well, I don't," he returned doggedly. "And another thing: I'm not to
be put off with hard words. I ask you again what has happened? Who has
been lying about me this time?"

Three other guests of the hotel were entering the music-room