the rooms, “Monsieur Arthur Mackwayte and ’is daughter. I ’ave know Monsieur Arthur almos’ all my life. And, Mademoiselle, permit me? I introduce le Captaine Strangwise and ’is friend... what is the name? Ah, Major Okewood!” 

 Nur-el-Din sank into a bergère chair beside her great mirror. 

 “There are too many in this room,” she cried, “there is no air! Lazarro, Ramiro, all of you, go outside, my friends!” 

 As Madame’s entourage surged out, Strangwise said: 

 “I hear you are leaving the Palaceum, Marcelle!” 

 He spoke so low that Mr. Mackwayte and Barbara, who were talking to Desmond, did not hear. Marcelle, taking off her heavy head-dress, answered quickly: 

 “Who told you that?” 

 “Never mind,” replied Strangwise. “But you never told me you were going. Why didn’t you?” 

 His voice was stern and hard now, very different from his usual quiet and mellow tones. But he was smiling. 

 Marcelle cast a glance over her shoulder. Barbara was looking round the room and caught the reflection of the dancer’s face in a mirror hanging on the wall. To her intense astonishment, she saw a look of despair, almost of terror, in Nur-el-Din’s dark eyes. It was like the frightened stare of some hunted beast. Barbara was so much taken aback that she instinctively glanced over her shoulder at the door, thinking that the dancer had seen something there to frighten her. But the door was shut. When Barbara looked into the mirror again, she saw only the reflection of Nur-el-Din’s pretty neck and shoulders. The dancer was talking again in low tones to Strangwise. 

 But Barbara swiftly forgot that glimpse of the dancer’s face in the glass. For she was very happy. Happiness, like high spirits, is eminently contagious, and the two men at her side were supremely content. 

 Her father’s eyes were shining with his little success of the evening: on the way upstairs Fletcher had held out hopes to him of a long engagement at the Palaceum while as for the other, he was radiant with the excitement of his first night in town after long months of campaigning. 

 He was thinking that his leave had started most propitiously. After a man has been isolated for months amongst 

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