tood there,
looking down.

"'Roberts,'" he echoed in a low tone, "'Roberts,' always 'Roberts'! Not
'Darley,' even then." He turned abruptly toward his own rooms, his great
shoulders all but blocking the doorway as he passed out. "Good-night," he
said.

CHAPTER X

DECISION

The light on the porch was dim, and as Elice Gleason, answering the ring,
opened the outer door she stared as one who sees unbelievable things. For
a moment she did not utter a sound, merely stood there gazing at the
visitor with a look that was only partially credulous; in sudden
weakness, oddly unlike her normal composure, she covered her face with
her hands.

"Elice!" Unbidden, the man came wholly within. "A thousand pardons for
startling you. I should have let you know--'phoned at least. I--pardon
me, please."

With an effort the girl removed her hands, but Darley Roberts saw she was
still trembling.

"No need to apologize." She closed the door mechanically. "You did
surprise me, it's true; but that wasn't the trouble really. I've been
expecting something to happen all day, something that hasn't happened
yet, and when you rang I fancied--" She laughed, as though the
inadequate explanation were complete and withal a thing of trivial
moment. "You remember once I told you I believed, after all, you had
nerves. I'm making the tardy discovery that I've got them myself."

In his turn Roberts smiled and ignored the obvious. He seldom
anticipated, this man.

"Yes, we all have them, I guess," he dismissed, "along with an appendix
and a few other superfluous items." He was still standing just within the
doorway. "First of all, though, I don't intrude? Harry Randall told me
about your father."

"He's been much better to-day, and he's asleep this evening already." In
swift reaction the girl was herself again, more than her recent self,
positively gay. "Intrude!" she laughed softly. "You're actually becoming
humorous; and as you would say, your dearest enemies have never accused
you of that before. Come."

Between genteel poverty and absolute poverty there are distinguishing
signs and Darley Roberts observed all things; but not once from his point
of vantage in the den he recalled so well did he seem to take
observations--any more than he seemed to see the alteration, likewise
unmistakable, in the girl herself.

"It seems as though it were only yesterday instead of--I don't like to
think how many ages ago, I was here last," he comment