legs, Sir Lucien became lost
in abstraction, and he was thus seated when, some ten minutes later,
Mrs. Sin came in.

"Ah!" she said, her harsh voice softened to a whisper. "I wondered. So
you wait to smoke with me?" Pyne slowly turned his head, staring at her
as she stood in the doorway, one hand resting on her hip and her shapely
figure boldly outlined by the kimono.

"No," he replied. "I don't want to smoke. Are they all provided for?"

Mrs. Sin shook her head.

"Not Cy," she said. "Two pipes are nothing to him. He will need two
more--perhaps three. But you are not going to smoke?"

"Not tonight, Lola."

She frowned, and was about to speak, when:

"Lola, my dear," came a distant, querulous murmur. "Give me another
pipe."

Sin tossed her head, turned, and went out again. Sir Lucien lighted
another cigarette. When finally the woman came back, Cyrus Kilfane had
presumably attained the opium-smoker's paradise, for Lola closed the
door and seated herself upon the arm of Sir Lucien's chair. She bent
down, resting her dusky cheek against his.

"You smoke with me?" she whispered coaxingly.

"No, Lola, not tonight," he said, patting her jewel-laden hand and
looking aside into the dark eyes which were watching him intently.

Mrs. Sin became silent for a few moments.

"Something has changed in you," she said at last. "You are
different--lately."

"Indeed!" drawled Sir Lucien. "Possibly you are right. Others have said
the same thing."

"You have lots of money now. Your investments have been good. You want
to become respectable, eh?"

Pyne smiled sardonically.

"Respectability is a question of appearance," he replied. "The change to
which you refer would seem to go deeper."

"Very likely," murmured Mrs. Sin. "I know why you don't smoke. You have
promised your pretty little friend that you will stay awake and see that
nobody tries to cut her sweet white throat."

Sir Lucien listened imperturbably.

"She is certainly nervous," he admitted coolly. "I may add that I am
sorry I brought her here."

"Oh," said Mrs. Sin, her voice rising half a note. "Then why do you
bring her to the House?"

"She made the arrangement herself, and I took the easier path. I am
considering your interests as much as my own, Lola. She is about to
marry Monte Irvin, and if his suspicions were aroused he is quite
capable of digging down to the 'Hundred Raptures.'"

"You brought her to Kazmah's."

"She was not at that time engaged