to Irvin."

"Ah, I see. And now everybody says you are changed. Yes, she is a
charming friend."

Pyne looked up into the half-veiled dark eyes.

"She never has been and never can be any more to me, Lola," he said.

At those words, designed to placate, the fire which smouldered in Lola's
breast burst into sudden flame. She leapt to her feet, confronting Sir
Lucien.

"I know! I know!" she cried harshly. "Do you think I am blind? If she
had been like any of the others, do you suppose it would have mattered
to me? But you respect her--you respect her!"

Eyes blazing and hands clenched, she stood before him, a woman mad with
jealousy, not of a successful rival but of a respected one. She quivered
with passion, and Pyne, perceiving his mistake too late, only preserved
his wonted composure by dint of a great effort. He grasped Lola and drew
her down on to the arm of the chair by sheer force, for she resisted
savagely. His ready wit had been at work, and:

"What a little spitfire you are," he said, firmly grasping her arms,
which felt rigid to the touch. "Surely you can understand? Rita amused
me, at first. Then, when I found she was going to marry Monte Irvin I
didn't bother about her any more. In fact, because I like and admire
Irvin, I tried to keep her away from the dope. We don't want trouble
with a man of that type, who has all sorts of influence. Besides, Monte
Irvin is a good fellow."

Gradually, as he spoke, the rigid arms relaxed and the lithe body ceased
to quiver. Finally, Lola sank back against his shoulder, sighing.

"I don't believe you," she whispered. "You are telling me lies. But
you have always told me lies; one more does not matter, I suppose. How
strong you are. You have hurt my wrists. You will smoke with me now?"

For a moment Pyne hesitated, then:

"Very well," he said. "Go and lie down. I will roast the chandu."

CHAPTER XVIII. THE DREAM OF SIN SIN WA

For a habitual opium-smoker to abstain when the fumes of chandu actually
reach his nostrils is a feat of will-power difficult adequately to
appraise. An ordinary tobacco smoker cannot remain for long among those
who are enjoying the fragrant weed without catching the infection and
beginning to smoke also. Twice to redouble the lure of my lady Nicotine
would be but loosely to estimate the seductiveness of the Spirit of the
Poppy; yet Sir Lucien Pyne smoked one pipe with Mrs. Sin, and perceiving
her to be already in a state of dreamy abs