extracted it from his grasp
and placed it behind her back with its mate, safely out of reach, still
looking at him gravely.

Crane helped her out of the cab, and turned to pay the driver, who was
beaming with expectation of an extra fee for his participation in this
adventure. When he had settled the fare, Adelle had disappeared within
the hotel. Judging that it might be unwise to follow her, Mr. Ashly
Crane walked off to his hotel, scowling along the way, very little
pleased with himself. He was really more mortified at discovering how
poor an artist in the business he was than by his ill success itself.

"Nothing but a meek, pale-faced, little school-girl, too!" he was saying
to himself. And aloud,--"Oh, damn the women."

XX

Adelle went straight to her own rooms, but before she could close the
door Miss Comstock was on her heels. Having taken the direct route to
London in Adelle's swift car, she had had ample time to change her gown,
and now looked specially groomed and ready for the encounter, with keen,
knowing green eyes. Closing the door carefully, Miss Comstock turned,
looked Adelle over from her hat, which was still slightly tipped, to her
ungloved hands.

"Well?" she remarked with perceptible irony.

Adelle did not mean to tell anything. She wanted to keep this, her first
affair, to herself, no matter what she might consider it to be, and she
was not yet sure what she should think of it finally. So she had tried
her best to dodge her companions until she had had time to simulate her
usual appearance. But she had been caught by "Pussy" red-handed. To the
mentor's repeated "Well?" she said nothing, a foolish little smile
starting without her will around the corners of her mouth.

"So he kissed you?" Miss Comstock continued; and as Adelle's eyes
dropped guiltily, she remarked contemptuously,--"The cad!"

Adelle was only vaguely acquainted with the meaning of this hateful
word, but if she had realized its full significance she would not have
cared, though she had no desire to defend Mr. Ashly Crane. She was
silent, while Miss Comstock tore a few more shreds from Adelle's poor
little "affair."

"I knew that was what he was after from the first, my dear. It was
written all over him!... A pretty kind of an officer for a trust company
to have! If the directors of the Washington Trust Company knew of this
there would be trouble for Mr. Ashly Crane!... A ward, too--"

"He's always been nice to me," A