self face to face with the yellow woman--the
mistress of the gambling-hell.

She was seated there alone, slightly retired from the view of the
house and in the shadow; but her arm, as it rested on the cushion,
still swayed the black and yellow fan, and her diamonds sparkled
lustrously as ever in the glare that beat into the box. Her dress,
as if to emphasise the hideousness of her skin and form a staring
contrast with her wrinkled face and white hair, was of black and
yellow, in which she seemed some grisly corpse masquerading as youth.

Struck dumb by this apparition, I took the seat into which she
motioned me, while her wonderful eyes regarded my face with stony
impassiveness. I could hear the hoarse murmurs of the house and feel
the stifling heat as it swept upwards from the pit. The strange
woman did not stir except to keep up the ceaseless motion of her
wrist.

For a full five minutes, as it seemed to me, we sat there silently
regarding each other. Then at last she spoke, and the soft voice was
as musically sympathetic as ever.

"You seem astonished to see me, Mr. Trenoweth, and yet I have been
looking for you for a long time."

I bowed.

"I have been expecting you to give me a chance of redeeming my
defeat."

"I am sorry," stammered I, not fully recovered from my surprise,
"but that is not likely."

"No? From my point of view it was extremely likely. But somehow
I had a suspicion that you would be different from the rest.
Perhaps it was because I had set my heart upon your coming."

"I hope," said I, "that the money--"

She smiled and waved her hand slightly.

"Do not trouble about that. Had I chosen, I could have gone on
losing to you until this moment. No, perhaps it was simply because
you were least likely to do so, that I wished you to come back as all
other young men would come back. I hope you reached home safely with
what you won; but I need not ask that."

"Indeed you need. I was attacked as I left the room, and but for a
lucky accident, should now be dead."

"Ah," she said placidly; "you suspect me. Don't say 'no,' for
I can see you do. Nevertheless you are entirely wrong.
Why, Mr. Trenoweth, had I chosen, do you think I could not have had
you robbed before you had gone three paces from the house?"

This was said with such composure, and her eyes were so absolutely
void of emotion, that I could but sit and gasp. Once more I recalled
the moment when, as I fled down the dark