Anna the Adventuress

Hill lost a little of his truculency. He knew very well that his

muscles were flabby, and his nerve by no means what it should be. He

was no match for Brendon. He yielded his place and struck instead with

his tongue. He turned to Mrs. White.

"I'm sorry, ma'am, to seem the cause of any disturbance, but this," he

pointed to Anna, "is my wife."

The sensation produced was gratifying enough. The man's statement was

explicit, and spoken with confidence. Every one looked at Anna. For a

moment she too had started and faltered in her exit from the room. Her

fingers clutched the side of the door as though to steady herself. She

caught her breath, and her eyes were lit with a sudden terror. She

recovered herself, however, with amazing facility. Scarcely any one

noticed the full measure of her consternation. From the threshold she

looked her accuser steadily and coldly in the face.

"What you have said is a ridiculous falsehood," she declared

scornfully. "I do not even know who you are."

She swept out of the room. Hill would have followed her, but Mrs.

White and Miss Ellicot laid each a hand upon his arm, one on either

side. The echoes of his hard, unpleasant laugh reached Anna on her way

upstairs.

* * * * * It was a queer little bed-sitting-room almost in the roof, with a

partition right across it. As usual Brendon lit the candles, and

Sydney dragged out the spirit-lamp and set it going. Anna opened a

cupboard and produced cups and saucers and a tin of coffee.

"Only four spoonsful left," she declared briskly, "and your turn to

buy the next pound, Sydney."

"Right!" he answered. "I'll bring it to-morrow. Fresh ground, no

chicory, and all the rest of it. But--Miss Pellissier!"

"Well?"

"Are you quite sure that you want us this evening? Wouldn't you rather

be alone? Just say the word, and we'll clear out like a shot."

She laughed softly.

"You are afraid," she said, "that the young man who thinks that he is

my husband has upset me."

"Madman!"

"Blithering ass!"

The girl looked into the two indignant faces and held out both her

hands.

"You're very nice, both of you," she said gently. "But I'm afraid you

are going to be in a hopeless minority here as regards me."

They eyed her incredulously.

"You can't imagine," Sydney exclaimed, "that the people downstairs

will be such drivelling asses as to believe piffle like that."

Anna measured out the coffee. Her eyes were lit with a gleam of

humour. After all, it was really rather funny.

"Well, I don't know," she said thoughtfully. "I always notice that

people find it very easy to believe what they want to believe, and you

see I'm not in the least popular. Miss Ellicot, for instance,

considers me a most improper person."