Anna the Adventuress

It was after all a momentary affair. Annabel passed on with a strained

nod to her sister, and Sir John's bow was a miracle of icy

displeasure. They vanished through the doorway. Anna and her escort

exchanged glances. Almost simultaneously they burst out laughing.

"How do you feel?" she asked.

"Limp," he answered. "As a matter of fact, I deserve to. I was engaged

to dine with your sister and her husband, and I sent a wire."

"It was exceedingly wrong of you," Anna declared. "Before I came to

England I was told that there were two things which an Englishman who

was _comme-il-faut_ never did. The first was to break a dinner

engagement."

"And the second?"

"Make love to a single woman."

"Your knowledge of our ways," he murmured "is profound. Yet, I suppose

that at the present moment I am the most envied man in the room."

Her eyes were lit with humour. To have spoken lightly on such a

subject a few hours ago would have seemed incredible.

"But you do not know," she whispered, "whether I am a married woman or

not. There is Mr. Montague Hill."

The lights were lowered, and an attentive waiter hovered round Anna's

cloak. They left the room amongst the last, and Ennison had almost to

elbow his way through a group of acquaintances who had all some

pretext for detaining him, to which he absolutely refused to listen.

They entered a hansom and turned on to the Embankment. The two great

hotels on their right were still ablaze with lights. On their left the

river, with its gloomy pile of buildings on the opposite side, and a

huge revolving advertisement throwing its strange reflection upon the

black water. A fresh cool breeze blew in their faces. Anna leaned back

with half closed eyes.

"Delicious!" she murmured.

His fingers closed upon her hand. She yielded it without protest, as

though unconsciously. Not a word passed between them. It seemed to him

that speech would be an anticlimax.

He paid the cab, and turned to follow her. She passed inside and

upstairs without a word. In her little sitting-room she turned on the

electric light and looked around half fearfully.

"Please search everywhere," she said. "I am going through the other

rooms. I shall not let you go till I am quite sure."

"If he has a key," Ennison said, "how are you to be safe?"

"I had bolts fitted on the doors yesterday," she answered. "If he is

not here now I can make myself safe."

It was certain that he was not there. Anna came back into the

sitting-room with a little sigh of relief.

"Indeed," she said, "it was very fortunate that I should have met you

this afternoon. Either Sydney or Mr. Brendon always comes home with

me, and to-night both are away. Mary is very good, but she is too

nervous to be the slightest protection."