At the moment she stared at Loftus, her lips still moving, her breast heaving, her small hands clenched, her face very white. And Loftus stared at her. In the vehemence and contempt of her anger he did not recognize at all the kitten of the year before. But it was very vulgar, he decided. That vulgarity Blanche complicated at once. "What has he done, miss?" she asked, her hands on her hips. "Done?" Marie echoed. "He has made me drink of shame. Now, tired of that, he is going." "Not to leave you, miss?" "To leave me for another woman." "Then hanging is too good for him." Loftus gestured at the negress. "I say," he called. "Did you hear what I told you? Go away and hold your tongue." Blanche's eyes that had rolled whitely before were rolling now not merely whitely but wildly. "I won't go away, sir. I won't hold my tongue, sir. I am as good as you, sir. I have a son that's better nor you, sir. He wouldn't treat a lady as you have her, sir. Staying away from her as you have, sir. Making her eat her heart out, sir. No, sir, I won't hold my tongue, sir." And Blanche, mounting in paroxysms of indignation, shouted: "For the Lord's sake, sir. Hanging is too good for you, sir. You ought to have your ghost kicked. Yes, sir." "Oh, hell!" muttered Loftus between his teeth, and turning on his heel, he stalked out, flecking from his sleeve as he went an imaginary speck. CHAPTER IV THE RETURN OF THE YELLOW FAY In Fanny's drawing-room the next evening, at six minutes after eight, Loftus appeared. Although tolerably punctual, others had preceded him. On a sofa with Fanny was Sylvia Waldron. On another sofa were Mrs. Waldron and Melanchthon Orr. Annandale, who seemed to have lost flesh, was standing in the middle of the floor. "How are you?" he asked as Loftus entered. "And you?" "They did me," Annandale answered. "Atch., U. P., St. Paul, Steel, I had the list." As he spoke he mopped himself. Then in confidential aside, he added, "It has affected my stomach. It is as though I had a hole there. Will you have a sherry and bitters?" Loftus moved forward to where Sylvia and Fanny sat. Fanny gave him a finger; Sylvia, a little distant nod. She was dressed in white. About her neck was a string of pearls. Fanny was in a frock of tender asparagus green fluttered with lace, very cool to the eye and cut rather low. "I hope Arthur isn't hurt much," said Loftus. "Are you?" Fanny asked. "No. I have been selling. Today I covered. It was not easy, though. Everybody was crazy. I have never seen a panic before." "It will be a generation before you see another," Orr, from across the room, called out. At the further end of the room Harris, Annandale's former valet, since promoted to the position of butler, appeared, smug-faced and solemn, in silent announcement of dinner. For the time being the subject was abandoned, but presently when at table all were seated it was resumed.