t the hot water from the
teapot into one of the cups, as a preparatory measure, and took off
the lid to put in the tea. But just as he had opened the caddy, he
paused and listened. The door of the room leading to the entry was
ajar, and as he stood by the table he had heard footsteps on the
stairs, still far down, but mounting steadily.

He went to the outer door and listened. There was no doubt that
somebody was coming up; any one not deaf could have heard the sound.
It was more strange that Mr. Van Torp should recognise the step,
for the rooms on the other side of the landing were occupied, and a
stranger would have thought it quite possible that the person who
was coming up should be going there. But Mr. Van Torp evidently knew
better, for he opened his door noiselessly and stood waiting to
receive the visitor. The staircase below was dimly lighted by gas, but
there was none at the upper landing, and in a few seconds a dark form
appeared, casting a tall shadow upwards against the dingy white paint
of the wall. The figure mounted steadily and came directly to the open
door--a lady in a long black cloak that quite hid her dress. She wore
no hat, but her head was altogether covered by one of those things
which are neither hoods nor mantillas nor veils, but which serve women
for any of the three, according to weather and circumstances. The
peculiarity of the one the lady wore was that it cast a deep shadow
over her face.

'Come in,' said Mr. Van Torp, withdrawing into the entry to make way.

She entered and went on directly to the sitting-room, while he shut
the outer door. Then he followed her, and shut the second door behind
him. She was standing before the fire spreading her gloved hands to
the blaze, as if she were cold. The gloves were white, and they fitted
very perfectly. As he came near, she turned and held out one hand.

'All right?' he inquired, shaking it heartily, as if it had been a
man's.

A sweet low voice answered him.

'Yes--all right,' it said, as if nothing could ever be wrong with
its possessor. 'But you?' it asked directly afterwards, in a tone of
sympathetic anxiety.

'I? Oh--well--' Mr. Van Torp's incomplete answer might have meant
anything, except that he too was 'all right.'

'Yes,' said the lady gravely. 'I read the telegram the next day. Did
you get my cable? I did not think you would sail.'

'Yes, I got your cable. Thank you. Well--I did sail, you see. Take off
your things. The wat