"Yes," he said, ignoring the humour of it, and feeling oddly sober, "I understood, and was playing, the same as you. Only both of us, I think, forget an important fact." "What, please?" "That we were young, socially on a level, and that you were an exceedingly charming young woman." She laughed again, yet this time with more restraint. "That is quite ridiculous, Captain West. Surely, you are not actually making love to me?" "No, I am not. I am merely facing the situation very frankly. It would be useless for me to claim lack of interest in you. From our very first meeting, you have appealed to me strongly--more so than any other woman of my acquaintance. Then, perhaps, the peculiarity of our relationship, with the trust you seemed to impose in me, tended to deepen that interest. I confess I began to care for you--as a woman." "Really you are quite flattering. I never dreamed I possessed such marvellous powers." She remained silent a moment, her eyes shaded by their long lashes; then uplifted them again to his face. "This makes it all the more necessary that I now speak plainly," she went on at length. "That I should explain to you it has all been a mistake. That was why I asked you to come here now." "All a mistake! Not the trouble you were in surely?" "Yes. I must have dreamed most of it, I think. I have just had a long confidential talk with Percival Coolidge, and we understand each other perfectly. Everything has been explained. So there is no necessity for our pretending any longer." West rose to his feet, comprehending her full meaning, yet unwilling to yield his position without further explanation. "Your words are certainly plain enough," he said slowly, "yet I trust I may be pardoned if I ask a question or so." "Is it necessary?" "Perhaps not, but I feel my curiosity is justified. You told me a rather remarkable story and requested my aid in the solving of a strange mystery. Now you abruptly dismiss me from that service. Do you mean the mystery is already solved without my further assistance?" "I am convinced there was no mystery; that it was only imagination, Captain West. My calling you was a mistake." "Percival Coolidge assures you of this?" "Positively; we have discussed it from every angle, and all that appeared mysterious has been made clear." "There is no one else impersonating you?" "No." "The checks at the bank; the strange person using your name; all these were myths?" She laughed. "Of course. I really believed all I said to you at the time, but everything has been explained since, and I realize how very foolish I have been. Uncle Percival has been very nice about it. He simply didn't understand before how worried I was." "No doubt. You sent for me then merely to say I was dismissed?" "Yes." "And you told Coolidge, of course, how I came to be here?" "Yes." "And the others? What will they think?"