d been ten
minutes later I might have missed him. I felt _that_, too! I told my
taxi man to drive at least as fast as the legal limit."

I guessed she was longing to get Robert to herself, and that he was glad
there was no chance of it. Was he _really_ going abroad? she wanted to
know. Or only just to London for a change?

Robert was restive under her uncanny questionings, but answered that he
wasn't quite sure about the future. Travelling in France and Italy
seemed to be disagreeable at the moment. Passports, too, were a bother.
He'd be more certain of his plans in a few days, and would let her know.

Opal betrayed no crude emotion. Yet I was sure that, under her
restrained manner--soft as a gentle breeze on a summer night--she would
have enjoyed stamping her foot and having hysterics. Instead, she asked
Robert about a psychic play she wanted him to write (he hadn't written a
line of it!), told him a little news concerning people they both knew,
and bethought herself that she "mustn't keep us."

Not more than twenty minutes after she had floated in Miss Fawcett
floated forth again. Robert took her to her taxi, and then could hardly
wait to get off in my car. As for me, I'd forgotten all about the
Duchess. We chose the longer of the two roads to London, hoping to miss
Opal; but soon passed her taxi going at a leisurely pace. The Wraith
must have had another of her mystic "feelings," and counted on our
choice of that turning!

"She says she has 'helpers' from beyond," Robert explained, when we were
flying on, far ahead. "She asks their advice, and they tell her what to
do in daily life. She wanted to provide me with one or two, but I wasn't
'taking any.' Not that I'm a convinced materialist, or that I don't
believe the dark veil can ever be lifted--I'm rather inclined the other
way round--but I prefer to manage my own affairs without 'helpers' I've
never known or seen on earth. Of course, it would be different if----Oh,
you know what I mean. But even then--well, I should be afraid of being
deceived. It's better not to begin anything like that when you can't be
sure."

"Did Opal Fawcett ever try to persuade you to--to----?" Courage failed
me. But Robert understood only too well what was in my mind.

"Yes, she did," he admitted. "She wrote me--after--that awful thing
happened. I hadn't heard from her for a long time till then. I'd almost
forgotten her existence. She said in the letter that June's spirit had
come to