An odd smile upon her face, Anne closed the window softly. She envied the little Spaniard his absent-minded imperviousness. What a boon! Would the gods had seen fit to grant it to her also! With a shrug she went into the bathroom and turned on the faucet behind the dolphin's head. Like a shower of gleaming crystal the water spouted on to the tiles. Chilled to the marrow, a hot bath would send the generous blood once more flowing in her congealed veins. The steam encircled her, with its warm, comforting breath. Her sheer nightgown fell around her feet like a discarded sheath. She sank slowly into the frothing stream. It lapped against her chin like the warm tongue of an affectionate dog. As she went through the mechanical ritual, her thoughts perused the events of the past night. It was sheer madness for Alexis to have come to her door. Disregarding entirely the danger from eavesdroppers, the action had been in atrocious taste. Had he expected her to receive him as if nothing had happened? The very idea was a degradation. It made her feel soiled, ill at ease, galled with the entire situation. He had shown no sense of delicacy whatsoever. And yet--was she perhaps being a little hard on him? After all, he was very young and very much in love? But he ought to have known better, and she would have to teach him. She stepped out of the bath and started to rub herself briskly. The exhilarating glow of her blood coursed through her comfortingly. Nevertheless, she decided to go home that very morning, instead of waiting until the following day as she had planned. After all, she was no longer in the mood to stay. Her nerves were irritable, frayed. The fine ecstasy of sacrifice entirely gone. She thrust her head deftly through the elliptical opening of a négligée. It fell in caressing folds to her feet. An underglow of turquoise chiffon showed against the sheer black, through which her skin gleamed like alabaster. With a feminine glance into the mirror, she reëntered the bedroom and ordered her breakfast over the house wire. "Yes, please, coffee, fruit and toast." Her tones were briskly business-like. Then she slipped back into bed. A few minutes later a clatter of dishes approached down the hall, followed by a knock. "Come in," called Anne languidly. The door broke open unceremoniously and Alexis burst in with the breakfast tray. "Alexis!" Completely off her guard, Anne blushed crimson. He pranced over to the table and deposited the tray upon it. "'Enfin seuls!'" His face was radiant. "Thank God, they had rehearsals and had to rush off early." "Yes, I know," said Anne. "I watched them leave from the window." He laughed excitedly. "Wouldn't they have been furious if they had guessed?" "But they did! I saw them looking up to my opened windows and whispering." He sat down upon the bed and falling upon her hands covered them with kisses. "What do we care?" Her laugh was angry. She happened to care a great deal.