David turned with a start. He saw before him a slight, graceful figure, and a lovely, refined face in a frame of the most beautiful hair that he had ever seen. The grey eyes were demure, with just a suggestion of mirth in them; the lips were made for laughter. It was as if some dainty little actress were masquerading in Salvation garb, only the dress was all priceless lace that touched David's artistic perception. He could imagine the girl as deeply in earnest as going through fire and water for her convictions. Also he could imagine her as Puck or Ariel--there was rippling laughter in every note of that voice of hers. "I--I, eh, yes," Steel stammered. "You see, I--if I only knew whom I had the pleasure of addressing?" "I am Miss Ruth Gates, at your service. Still, you asked for me by name." David made no reply for a moment. He was tripping over surprises again. What a fool he had been not to look out the name of the occupant of 219 in the directory. It was pretty evident that Gilead Gates had a house in Brighton as well as one in town. Not only had that telephone message emanated from the millionaire's residence, but it had brought Steel to the philanthropist's abode in Brighton. If Mr. Gates himself had strolled into the room singing a comic song David would have expressed no emotion. "Daughter of the famous Gilead Gates?" David asked, feebly. "No, niece, and housekeeper. This is not my uncle's own house, he has merely taken this for a time. But, Mr. Steel--" "Mr. _David_, Steel--is my name familiar to you?" David asked the question somewhat eagerly. As yet he was only feeling his way and keenly on the lookout for anything in the way of a clue. He saw the face of the girl grow white as the table-cover, he saw the lurking laughter die in her eyes, and the purple black terror dilating the pupils. "I--I know you quite well by reputation," the girl gasped. Her little hands were pressed to her left side as if to check some deadly pain there. "Indeed, I may say I have read most of your stories. I--I hope that there is nothing wrong." Her self-possession and courage were coming back to her now. But the spasm of fear that had shaken her to the soul was not lost upon Steel. "I trust not," he said, gravely. "Did you know that I was here two nights ago?" "Here!" the girl cried. "Impossible! In the house! The night before last! Why, we were all in bed long before midnight." "I am not aware that I said anything about midnight," David responded, coldly. An angry flush came sweeping over the face of the girl, annoyance at her own folly, David thought. She added quickly that she and her uncle had only been down in Brighton for three days.