She shrugged her shoulders.

"You appear," she said, without any sign of anger in her tone, and

with unruffled composure, "to be a very impertinent person. Do you

mind talking to some one else."

Mrs. White leaned forward in her chair with an anxious smile designed

to throw oil upon the troubled waters.

"Come," she said. "We mustn't have any unpleasantness, and Mr. Hill's

first night back amongst us, too. No doubt there's some little

mistake. We all get deceived sometimes. Mr. Hill, I hope you won't

find everything cold. You're a little late, you must remember, and we

are punctual people here."

"I shall do very well, thank you, ma'am," he answered shortly.

Sydney and Brendon vied with one another in their efforts to engage

Anna in conversation, and Miss Ellicot, during the momentary lull,

deemed it a favourable opportunity to recommence siege operations. The

young man was mollified by her sympathy, and flattered by the obvious

attempts of several of the other guests to draw him into conversation.

Yet every now and then, during the progress of the meal, his attention

apparently wandered, and leaning forward he glanced covertly at Anna

with a curious mixture of expressions on his face.

Anna rose a few minutes before the general company. At the same time

Sydney and Brendon also vacated their places. To reach the door they

had to pass the end of the table, and behind the chair where Mr. Hill

was seated. He rose deliberately to his feet and confronted them.

"I should like to speak to you for a few minutes," he said to Anna,

dropping his voice a little. "It is no good playing a game. We had

better have it over."

She eyed him scornfully. In any place her beauty would have been an

uncommon thing. Here, where every element of her surroundings was

tawdry and commonplace, and before this young man of vulgar origin and

appearance, it was striking.

"I do not know you," she said coldly. "I have nothing to say to you."

He stood before the door. Brendon made a quick movement forward. She

laid her hand upon his arm.

"Please don't," she said. "It really is not necessary. Be so good as

to let me pass, sir," she added, looking her obstructor steadily in

the face.

He hesitated.

"This is all rot!" he declared angrily. "You can't think that I'm fool

enough to be put off like this."

She glanced at Brendon, who stood by her side, tall and threatening.

Her eyebrows were lifted in expostulation. A faint, delightfully

humorous smile parted her lips.

"After all," she said, "if this person will not be reasonable, I am

afraid----"

It was enough. A hand of iron fell upon the scowling young man's

shoulder.

"Be so good as to stand away from that door at once, sir," Brendon

ordered.




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