mediately. The longer he reasoned with
himself the more confident he became that Croisset had been the victor.
He knew Jean. Every advantage was on his side. He was as watchful as a
lynx. It was impossible to conceive of him walking into a trap. So he
determined to wait, at least until that night.

It was almost noon when Adare sent word by Metoosin asking Philip to
rejoin him in the big room. A little later Josephine and her mother
came in. Again Philip noticed that in the face of Adare's wife was that
strange look which he had first observed in her room. The colour of the
morning had faded from her cheeks. The glow in her eyes was gone. Adare
noted the change, and spoke to her tenderly.

Miriam and Josephine went ahead of them to the dining-room, and with
his hand on Philip's arm John Adare whispered:

"Sometimes I am afraid, Philip. She changes so suddenly. This morning
her cheeks and lips were red, her eyes were bright, she laughed--she
was the old Miriam. And now! Can you tell me what it means? Is it some
terrible malady which the doctors could not find?"

"No, it is not that," Philip felt his heart beat a little faster.
Josephine had fallen a step behind her mother. She had heard Adare's
words, and at Philip she flung back a swift, frightened look. "It is
not that," he repeated. "See how much better she looks to-day than
yesterday! You understand, Mon Pere, that oftentimes there comes a
period of nervousness--of a sickness that is not sickness--in a woman's
life. The winter will build her up."

The dinner passed too swiftly for Philip. They sat at a long table, and
Josephine was opposite him. For a time he forgot the strain he was
under, that he was playing a part in which he must not strike a single
false key. Yet in another way he was glad when it came to an end, for
it gave him an opportunity of speaking a few words with Josephine.
Adare and Miriam went out ahead of them. At the door Philip held
Josephine back.

"You are not going to leave me alone this afternoon?" he asked. "It is
not quite fair, or safe, Josephine. I am travelling on thin ice. I--"

"You are doing splendidly, Philip," she protested. "To-morrow I will be
different. Metoosin says there is a little half-breed girl very sick
ten miles back in the forest, and you may go with me to visit her.
There are reasons why I must be with my mother all of to-day. She has
had a long journey and is worn out and nervous. Perhaps she will not
want to app