p in the chair. "I
have told you the story because you know everybody and everything about
everybody, and I hoped you might be able to help me in my investigations.
Your exclamation a while ago shows that you do know something."

Penfield gazed at the fire through narrowed lids, then he shook his head.
"No," he said, "truly I know nothing. What I jumped at a while ago is
something that you are bound to run across yourself. I'm not telling all
that I know, but I'm willing to bet that within a very short time you
will hear of The Veiled Mariposa, and that, too, from a most unexpected
source."

"What are you driving at now?" cried Hayden. "Come, speak up. What's the
use of being mysterious?"

"It amuses me, that's all," grinned Penfield. "But truly, Hayden, if I
could be of any assistance to you I would. As I can not, at present, I
shall just sit tight and look on, occasionally putting my finger just far
enough in the pie to stir things up and make them merry." He rose and
getting into his coat and hat sauntered toward the door.

"But, Horace"--Hayden started after him--"what do you mean by predicting
that I shall soon hear of The Veiled Mariposa?"

But Penfield only grinned more inscrutably than ever and closed the door
behind him.

Hayden glared irritably after his departing guest and then shook his fist
in the direction Penfield had taken. Having thus relieved his feelings,
he threw himself into a chair and moodily lighted a cigarette. He was
suffering one of the swift reactions of the optimistic and mercurial
temperament, which, if it suns itself upon the slope of Olympus pays for
the privilege by an occasional sojourn in Avernus. He was disgusted with
Penfield, with himself, with the world.

But wait, even in Avernus the darkness is sometimes penetrated by a ray
of light. His quest, so far, had been fruitless. In the various cities of
Europe where the Willoughbys had lived and where he had made the most
patient investigations, he had discovered practically nothing; and yet,
here in New York, he had seen Penfield, the imperturbable, literally jump
when he had mentioned The Veiled Mariposa; and further, he had assured
him that he would hear some word regarding it within a short time. Come!
Hayden cheered visibly. That was something, at any rate. Things were not
so bad, after all. He was well out of Avernus and beginning to scale
Olympus, and his mind reverted to the earlier and happier part of the
evening.

Th