his smaller room in a
black fire-basket set in a white marble grate, obviously much older
than the house; there were big easy leather chairs before it, and
beside it there were bookcases. On one of these stood a two-handled
silver trophy cup, and hung high upon the wall above the mantel was a
long racing sweep with the date '85 painted in black across the blade.
He had the feeling, coming quite unconsciously, of liking the people
who lived in this handsome house.

He straightened and looked about, then got up, as Constance Sherrill
came back into the room.

"Father is not here just now," she said. "We weren't sure from your
telegram exactly at what hour you would arrive, and that was why I
waited at Mr. Corvet's to be sure we wouldn't miss you. I have
telephoned father, and he's coming home at once."

She hesitated an instant in the doorway, then turned to go out again.

"Miss Sherrill--" he said.

She halted. "Yes."

"You told me you had been waiting for me to come and explain my
connection with Mr. Corvet. Well--I can't do that; that is what I came
here hoping to find out."

She came back toward him slowly.

"What do you mean?" she asked.

He was forcing himself to disregard the strangeness which his
surroundings and all that had happened in the last half hour had made
him feel; leaning his arms on the back of the chair in which he had
been sitting, he managed to smile reassuringly; and he fought down and
controlled resolutely the excitement in his voice, as he told her
rapidly the little he knew about himself.

He could not tell definitely how she was affected by what he said. She
flushed slightly, following her first start of surprise after he had
begun to speak; when he had finished, he saw that she was a little pale.

"Then you don't know anything about Mr. Corvet at all," she said.

"No; until I got his letter sending for me here, I'd never seen or
heard his name."

She was thoughtful for a moment.

"Thank you for telling me," she said. "I'll tell my father when he
comes."

"Your father is--?" he ventured.

She understood now that the name of Sherrill had meant nothing to him.
"Father is Mr. Corvet's closest friend, and his business partner as
well," she explained.

He thought she was going to tell him something more about them; but she
seemed then to decide to leave that for her father to do. She crossed
to the big chair beside the grate and seated herself. As she sat
looking at