Anna the Adventuress

"I still----"

Anna stopped short. Suddenly she understood. She grew perhaps a shade

paler, and she glanced out into the street, where her four-wheeler

cab, laden with luggage, was still waiting.

"Sir John of course disapproves of me," she remarked slowly.

"Sir John is a man of the world," her aunt answered coldly. "He

naturally does not wish for connexions which are--I do not wish to

hurt you feelings, Anna, but I must say it--not altogether desirable."

The irrepressible smile curved Anna's lips. She glanced towards her

sister, and curiously enough found in her face some faint reflection

of her own rather sombre mirth. She leaned back in her chair. It was

no use. The smile had become a laugh. She laughed till the tears stood

in her eyes.

"I had a visit from Sir John in my rooms," she said. "Did he tell you,

Annabel?"

"Yes."

"He mentioned the matter to me also," Miss Pellissier remarked

stiffly. "The visit seems to have made a most painful impression upon

him. To tell you the truth, he spoke to me very seriously upon the

subject."

Anna sprang up.

"I will be off," she declared. "My cab with all that luggage would

give the whole show away. Good-bye, aunt."

Miss Pellissier tried ineffectually to conceal her relief.

"I do not like to seem inhospitable, Anna," she said hesitatingly.

"And of course you are my niece just as Annabel is, although I am

sorry to learn that your conduct has been much less discreet than

hers. But at the same time, I must say plainly that I think your

presence here just now would be a great misfortune. I wish very much

that you had written before leaving Paris."

Anna nodded.

"Quite right," she said. "I ought to have done. Good-bye aunt. I'll

come and see you again later on. Annabel, come to the door with me,"

she added a little abruptly. "There is something which I must say to

you."

Annabel rose and followed her sister from the room. A maidservant held

the front door open. Anna sent her away.

"Annabel," she said brusquely. "Listen to me."

"Well?"

"Sir John came to me--that you know--and you can guess what I told

him. No, never mind about thanking me. I want to ask you a plain

question, and you must answer me faithfully. Is all that folly done

with--for ever?"

Annabel shivered ever so slightly.

"Of course it is, Anna. You ought to know that. I am going to make a

fresh start."

"Be very sure that you do," Anna said slowly. "If I thought for a

moment that there was any chance of a relapse, I should stop here and

tell him the truth even now."

Annabel looked at her with terrified eyes.

"Anna," she cried, "you must believe me. I am really in earnest. I

would not have him know--now--for the world."