He had grown to accept her prim simplicity as a matter of course, and never associated her in his thoughts with anything feminine, but the room as it lay before him now was a revelation of daintiness and artful decoration. Tasteful water-colors hung on the walls, a warm rug was on the floor, and everywhere were rosy touches of color. The plain white bed had been transformed into a couch of Oriental luxury; a lace spread of weblike texture covered it, the pillows were hidden beneath billowing masses of ruffles and ribbons. He saw a typical woman's cozy corner piled high with cushions; there was a jar of burning incense sticks near it--everything, in fact, was utterly at variance with his notions of the owner. Even the girl herself seemed transfigured for her hair was brought forward around her face in some loose mysterious fashion which gave her a bewilderingly girlish appearance. As he looked in upon her she raised her face so that the light shone full upon it; her brows were puckered, she nibbled at the end of her pencil, in the midst of some creative puzzle. O'Neil's eyes photographed all this in a single surprised glance as he passed; the next moment he was mounting the steps to the porch. Dan flung open the door, but his words of greeting froze, his smile of welcome vanished at sight of his chief's forbidding visage. Murray was in no mood to waste words; he began roughly: "Did you tell Miss Gerard that Poultney Illis is backing me?" Dan stammered. "I--perhaps--I--What has gone wrong, Chief?" "Did you tell her the inside--the story of his agreement with the steamboat people?" Dan paled beneath his tan, but his eyes met Murray's without flinching. "I think I did--tell her something. I don't quite remember. But anything I may have said was in confi--" "I thought so. I merely wished to make certain. Well, the whole thing is in the papers." Appleton laid his hand upon the table to steady himself. "Then it--didn't come from her. She wouldn't--" "Gordon has spread the story broadcast. It couldn't have come from any other source; it couldn't have reached him in any other way, for none of my boys has breathed a word." His voice rose despite his effort at self-control. "Illis's agreement was ILLEGAL," he said, savagely; "it will probably forfeit the charter of the North Pass or land him in court. I suppose you realize that! I discovered his secret and assured him it was safe with me; now you peddle it to Gordon, and the whole thing is public. Here's the first result." He shook the London cablegram in Dan's face, and his own was distorted with rage. There was a stir in Eliza's room which neither noticed. Appleton wiped his face with uncertain hand; he moistened his lips to say: "I--I'm terribly sorry! But I'm sure Natalie wouldn't spy--I don't remember what I told her, or how I came to know about the affair. Doc Gray told me, I think, in the first excitement, but--God! She--wouldn't knowingly--"