a woman's was not Wanda's, and Shandon
realised that he had been a fool to let his heart leap as it had when
his eyes made out through the murkiness that it was a woman.

"Yes," he answered, wondering.

"May I come in?" she asked a little impatiently. "I have come a long
way to see you."

Wondering more than ever he threw the door wide open, showed her the
way into the living room and lighted a lamp. There was no fire in the
room but she went quite naturally to the fireplace. He glanced at her
sharply, knew that he had never seen her before for he would have
remembered her, understood that she was a woman of the cities, and said,

"Are you very cold? Just a minute and I'll have a fire going. I came
in only a moment before I heard your knock."

She did not speak until he had gathered an armful of wood from the box
at the side of the fireplace and had flung it upon the blaze that a
match had started from a bit of paper and some pitch pine. Nor did she
seem in haste to speak even then when he stood across the hearth
looking at her. But not for a second had her approving eyes left him;
no opportunity had they lost to watch the man's face intently.

"Where did you come from in all this storm?" he asked curiously.

"Remotely, from New York. Immediately from El Toyen."

"Lord!" he ejaculated. "You must be dead. I'll get you something hot,
some coffee. We haven't any tea, I'm afraid."

She laughed coolly, evidently quite at home with him.

"If a man came in, frozen stiff, would you offer him a cup of tea?"

"What do you mean?" He had started toward the kitchen, and stopped.

"I mean brandy, if you've got any. It would do me a lot of good.
Wanda Leland just poured some tea down me and I didn't want to shock
her."

Wayne stood frowning at her a moment, a question on his lips. Then he
went to the kitchen and got a bottle and a glass. She had drawn a
chair close up to the fire when he returned and was leaning back in it
luxuriously, her feet thrust out to the blaze.

"Thanks," she said, taking the glass he handed her. "I am drinking to
our better acquaintance."

She set the glass down upon the arm of her chair, half emptied, and
smiled up at him.

"I want a good long talk if you can spare the time. Can you?"

"Of course," he said briefly.

"It is my particular desire that no one but yourself hears what I have
to say."

"No one is here except Garth and myself. And Garth hasn't come in from
t