"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." "I am very glad," he answered, in a low tone. "It has been a delightful evening for me." "And for me," Anna echoed. A curious silence ensued. Anna was sitting before the fire a little distance from him--Ennison himself remained standing. Some shadow of reserve seemed to have crept up between them. She laughed nervously, but kept her eyes averted. "It is strange that we should have met Annabel," she said. "I am afraid your broken dinner engagement will not be so easy to explain." He was very indifferent. In fact he was thinking of other things. "I am going," he said, "to be impertinent. I do not understand why you and your sister should not see more of one another. You must be lonely here with only a few men friends." She shook her head. "Loneliness," she said, "is a luxury which I never permit myself. Besides--there is Sir John." "Sir John is an ass!" he declared. "He is Annabel's husband," she reminded him.