mystery, to set her in the wholesome
sunlight where Phillida flitted happily. If I could prevent, those gates
of which she vaguely spoke never should close between us. But it was
plain that I must tread warily. Once frightened away, how could she be
found? Her home, her history, even her face, were unknown to me. Tracing
her by a perfume and a tress of hair had been tried, and failed. Of her
connection with the Dark Thing I refused to think too deeply. Her
connection with me must come first.

It was not until I passed the cottage of Mrs. Hill, glimmering whitely
in the starlight, where the road made an angle toward the farm, that I
recalled our talk in her "best room."

"_The Michell family always owned it. The Reverend Cotton Mather Michell
went to foreign parts for missionary work twenty years ago and died
there----_"

My lady of the night was Desire Michell. A clue?

"_He never married, so the family's run out._"

It was damp here in the hollow where the road dipped down. A chill ran
coldly over me.

Arrived at the garage which had taken the place of our tumble-down barn,
I put the car away as quietly as possible. Ten o'clock had struck as I
passed through the last village, and our household was asleep. Moving
without unnecessary noise, I crossed to the house. Bagheera, the cat,
padded across the porch to meet me and rubbed himself around my legs
while I stooped to put the latch-key in the lock.

As the key slid in place, I heard the waterfall over the dam abruptly
change the sound of its flow, swelling and accelerating as when a gust
of wind hurries a greater volume of water over the brink. But there was
no wind. Immediately followed that sound from the lake which I can liken
to nothing better than the smack of huge lips unclosing, or the suck of
a thick body drawing itself from a bed of mud. The cat thrust himself
violently between my feet and pressed against the house-door uttering a
whimpering mew of urgency. Startled, I looked in the direction of the
lake.

At this distance it showed as a mere expanse of darkness, only the
reflection of a star here and there revealing the surface as water. What
else could be shown, I rebuked my nerves by querying of them; and turned
the key. Bagheera rushed into the hall when the door opened wide enough
to admit his body. I followed more sedately and closed the door behind
us both.

Now I was not acquainted with Bagheera's night privileges. Did Phillida
allow him in