“It’s only natural that you should be nervous—that we should both have been a bit impressed, it was so weird and unexpected, but after all George is just a servant, and the snake is probably a harmless reptile, such as one sees in any circus. I do not think that he is a bad servant and that he does not regard Gloria as a servant should; he’s impertinent and disagreeable, if you like, but I don’t believe he has the slightest thing to do with Professor Pendragon’s illness. How could he?” He talked thus until Ruth despaired of securing his assistance. Terry had given Gloria a contract to sign, which she persistently refused to consider. Finally he appealed to Ruth about it. “Can’t you make Gloria sign it?” he said. “She seemed keen enough before we found a producer and before the thing was cast, and now that she has the contract before her, she seems to have lost all interest. I can’t imagine what’s wrong. Of course temperament covers a multitude of sins, but she never was temperamental about her work.” “Perhaps she’s decided to really abandon the stage,” said Ruth. They were having supper together—Ruth didn’t know where. One of the delightful things about Terry was that he never asked her where she wanted to go. He didn’t even tell her where they were going. He just took her. Terry looked at her in amazement. “Leave the stage?” “Did it ever occur to you that Gloria might marry Prince Aglipogue?” she asked. Terry answered with a laugh: “My dear child, you’ve thought so much about Gloria and George that you’re beginning to think of impossibilities. Gloria wouldn’t marry a man like that, and if she did she’d have to stay on the stage to support him. The house, of course, belongs to her, but the income from her other husband—I forget his name—would certainly stop if she remarried.” “I know; I thought it was preposterous too, but she’s always with him, and George told me that Gloria would marry Aglipogue.” “Servants’ gossip, or perhaps he did it to annoy you. Did you tell Gloria?” “No; I never get a chance to talk to her any more.” “If you told her it might make her angry enough to dismiss him. Gloria hates being discussed. Is the Prince going to the Christmas party?” “Of course; he goes everywhere that Gloria goes. I know you think that I am foolish and superstitious, but I can’t help thinking that George has some power over Gloria—that what he says is true—that he’s forcing her to marry Prince Aglipogue and that he is responsible for Professor Pendragon’s strange illness. The first time I saw George with the snake was almost three months ago—that same night Professor Pendragon became paralysed; the next time was just a month later and at the same time Professor Pendragon’s paralysis became suddenly worse. It was at the dark of the moon—” The last words were spoken almost in a whisper and when she paused Terry did not speak, but sat waiting for her to go on.