station.

It was not like Gabriel Warden to show nervousness of any sort; Kondo,
the Japanese doorman, who therefore had found something strange in this
telephoning, watched him through the portieres which shut off the
living-room from the hall. Three times Kondo saw him--big, uncouth in
the careless fit of his clothes, powerful and impressive in his
strength of feature and the carriage of his well-shaped head--go to the
window and, watch in hand, stand staring out. It was a Sunday evening
toward the end of February--cold, cloudy and with a chill wind driving
over the city and across the Sound. Warden evidently saw no one as he
gazed out into the murk; but each moment, Kondo observed, his
nervousness increased. He turned suddenly and pressed the bell to call
a servant. Kondo, retreating silently down the hall, advanced again
and entered the room; he noticed then that Warden's hand, which was
still holding the watch before him, was shaking.

"A young man who may, or may not, give a name, will ask for me in a few
moments. He will say he called by appointment. Take him at once to my
smoking-room, and I will see him there. I am going to Mrs. Warden's
room now."

He went up the stairs, Kondo noticed, still absently holding his watch
in his hand.

Warden controlled his nervousness before entering his wife's
room,--where she had just finished dressing to go out,--so that she did
not at first sense anything unusual. In fact, she talked with him
casually for a moment or so before she even sent away her maid. He had
promised a few days before to accompany her to a concert; she thought
he had come simply to beg off. When they were alone, she suddenly saw
that he had come to her to discuss some serious subject.

"Cora," he said, when he had closed the door after the maid, "I want
your advice on a business question."

"A business question!" She was greatly surprised. She was a number of
years younger than he; he was one of those men who believe all business
matters should be kept from their wives.

"I mean it came to me through some business--discoveries."

"And you cannot decide it for yourself?"

"I had decided it." He looked again at his watch. "I had quite
decided it; but now--It may lead to some result which I have suddenly
felt that I haven't the right to decide entirely for myself."

Warden's wife for the first time felt alarmed. She could not well
describe his manner; it did not suggest fear for