nk. I simply picked
her up without another word, right there in the public street, and
raced back into the house, with her kicking and fighting like a
little demon! She did not shriek or do anything of that kind, but
fought silently like a vicious wild animal. Oh! I had some scars, I
assure you; but I carried her up into my office, which fortunately was
empty at the time, plumped her down in a chair, and stood looking at
her."

"Go on" I said rather hollowly; "what next?"

"She glared at me with those wonderful eyes, an expression of
implacable hatred in them! Remembering all that we had done for her;
remembering our former friendship; above all, remembering _you_--this
look of hers almost made me shiver. She was dressed very smartly in
European fashion, and the whole thing had been so sudden that as I
stood looking at her I half expected to wake up presently and find it
all a day-dream. But it was real--as real as her enmity. I felt the
need for reflection, and having vainly endeavoured to draw her into
conversation, and elicited no other answer than this glare of
hatred--I left her there, going out and locking the door behind me."

"Very high-handed?"

"A Commissioner has certain privileges, Petrie; and any action I might
choose to take was not likely to be questioned. There was only one
window to the office, and it was fully twenty feet above the level; it
overlooked a narrow street off the main thoroughfare (I think I have
explained that the house stood on a corner), so I did not fear her
escaping. I had an important engagement which I had been on my way to
fulfil when the encounter took place, and now, with a word to my
native servant--who chanced to be downstairs--I hurried off."

Smith's pipe had gone out as usual, and he proceeded to relight it,
whilst, my eyes lowered, I continued to drum upon the table.

"This boy took her some tea later in the afternoon," he continued,
"and apparently found her in a more placid frame of mind. I returned
immediately after dusk, and he reported that when last he had looked
in, about half an hour earlier, she had been seated in an armchair
reading a newspaper (I may mention that everything of value in the
office was securely locked up!). I was determined upon a certain
course by this time, and I went slowly upstairs, unlocked the door,
and walked into the darkened office. I turned up the light ... the
place was empty!"

"Empty!"

"The window was open, and the bird flo