he pillow, which his head scarcely touched; search
the pockets of his dressing gown, search even the bed. He listened to
her soft breathing. The consciousness of her close and intimate presence
affected him in an inexplicable manner. Presently, to his intense
relief, she glided away from his immediate neighbourhood, and the moment
for which he had waited came. He heard her retreating footsteps pass
through the communicating door into his little sitting room, where he
had purposely left a light burning. He slipped softly from the bed
and followed her. She was bending over an open desk as he crossed the
threshold. He closed the door and stood with his back to it.

"Much warmer," he said, "only, you see, it isn't there."

She started violently at the sound of his voice, but she did not
immediately turn around. When she did so, her demeanour was almost a
shock to him. There was no sign of nervousness or apology in her manner.
Her eyes flashed at him angrily. She wore a loose red wrap trimmed with
white fur, a dishabille unusually and provokingly attractive.

"So you were shamming sleep!" she exclaimed indignantly.

"Entirely," he admitted.

Neither spoke for a moment. Her eyes fell upon a tumbler of whisky
and soda, which stood on a round table drawn up by the side of his
easy-chair.

"I have not come to bed thirsty," he assured her. "I had another one
downstairs--to which I helped myself. This one I brought up to try if I
could remember sufficient of my chemistry to determine its contents. I
have been able to decide, to my great relief, that your intention
was probably to content yourself with plunging me into only temporary
slumber."

"I wanted you out of the way whilst I searched your rooms," she told
him coolly. "If you were not such an obstinate, pig-headed, unkind,
prejudiced person, it would not have been necessary."

"Dear me!" he murmured. "Am I all that? Won't you sit down?"

For a moment she looked as though she were about to strike him with
the electric torch which she was carrying. With a great effort of
self-control, however, she changed her mind and threw herself into his
easy-chair with a little gesture of recklessness. Julian seated himself
opposite to her. Although she kept her face as far as possible averted,
he realised more than ever in those few moments that she was really an
extraordinarily beautiful person. Her very attitude was full of an angry
grace. The quivering of her lips was the only