"You are absurd," she declared, "and you must go away. Really! The Baroness will be home directly. I would rather, I would very much rather that she did not find you here." He held out his arms to her. His eyes were bright with the joy of conquest. "I will go, Louise," he answered, "but first I will have my answer--and no answer save one will do!" She bit her lip. She was moved by some emotion, but he was unable, for the moment, to classify it. "I think," she declared, "that you must be the most persistent man on earth." "You are going to find me so," he assured her. "Listen," she said firmly, "I will not marry you!" He shrugged his shoulders. "On that point," he answered, "I am content to differ from you. Anything else?" She stamped her foot. "I do not care for you! I do not wish to marry you!" she repeated. "I am going away, and I forbid you to follow me." "No good!" he declared, stolidly. "I am past all that." She held up her finger, and glanced backward out of the window. "It is the Baroness," she said. "I must go and open the door." For one moment she lay passive in his arms; then he could have sworn that her lips returned his kiss. She was there when they heard the turning of a latch-key in the door. With a little cry she slipped away and left him alone. The outer door was thrown open, and the Baroness stood upon the threshold. CHAPTER XX STABBED THROUGH THE HEART The Baroness recognized Wrayson with a little shrug of the shoulders. "Ah! my dear Mr. Wrayson," she exclaimed, "this is very kind of you. You have been keeping Louise company, I hope. And see what droll things happen! It is your friend, Mr. Barnes, who has brought me home this evening, and who will take a whisky and soda before he goes. Is it not so, my friend?" She turned around, but there was no immediate response. The Baroness looked over the banisters and beheld her escort in the act of ascending. "Coming right along," he called out cheerfully. "It was the cabman who tried to stop me. He wanted more than his fare. Found he'd tackled the wrong Johnny this time." Mr. Sydney Barnes came slowly into view. He was wearing an evening suit, obviously too large for him, a made-up white tie had slipped round underneath his ear, a considerable fragment of red silk handkerchief was visible between his waistcoat and much crumpled white shirt. An opera hat, also too large for him, he was wearing very much on the back of his head, and he was smoking a very black cigar, from which he had failed to remove the band. He frowned when he saw Wrayson, but followed the Baroness into the room with a pronounced swagger.