making an ass of myself again?"

Pritchard smiled in a relieved fashion.

"My young friend," he said, "I have lived in the world so long and seen
so many strange things, especially between men and women, that I am
never surprised at anything. I thought you'd shed your follies as your
grip upon life had tightened, but one is never sure."

Tavernake sighed.

"Oh, I have shed the worst of my follies!" he answered. "I only wish--"

He never finished his sentence. Elizabeth had suddenly seen him. For a
moment she leaned forward as though to assure herself that she was not
mistaken. Then she half sprang to her feet and sat down again. Her lips
were parted--she was once more bewilderingly beautiful.

"Mr. Tavernake," she cried, "come and speak to me at once."

Tavernake rose without hesitation, and walked firmly across the few
yards which separated them. She held out both her hands.

"This is wonderful!" she exclaimed. "You in New York! And I have
wondered so often what became of you."

Tavernake smiled.

"It is my first night here," he said. "For two years I have been
prospecting in the far west."

"Then I saw your name in the papers," she declared. "It was for the
Manhattan Syndicate, wasn't it?"

Tavernake nodded, and one of the men of the party leaned forward with
interest.

"You're going to make millions and millions," she assured him. "You
always knew you would, didn't you?"

"I am afraid that I was almost too confident," he answered. "But
certainly we have been quite fortunate."

One of Elizabeth's companions intervened--he was the one who had pricked
up his ears at the mention of the Manhattan Syndicate.

"Say, Elizabeth," he remarked, "I'd like to meet your friend."

Elizabeth, with a frown, performed the introduction.

"Mr. Anthony Cruxhall--Mr. Tavernake!"

Mr. Cruxhall held out a fat white hand, on the little finger of which
glittered a big diamond ring.

"Say, are you the Mr. Tavernake that was surveyor to the prospecting
party sent out by the Manhattan Syndicate?" he inquired.

"I was," Tavernake admitted, briefly. "I still am, I hope."

"Then you're just the man I was hoping to meet," Mr. Cruxhall declared.
"Won't you sit down with us right here? I'd like to talk some about that
trip. I'm interested in the Syndicate."

Tavernake shook his head.

"I've had enough of work for a time," he said. "Besides, I couldn't talk
about it till after my report to the meeting to-morrow."

"Jus