But she only shook her head and, still convulsed by sobs, sat there inert and heedless of all about her. As I knelt in silence, the quiet of my room remained unbroken save for the low ticking of the clock, and the soft sobs of the woman I so dearly loved. Tenderly I took my own handkerchief and wiped those tears from her white, hard-set face. Then, for the first time, I saw that her left eyebrow showed a dark red scar. It had not been there on the last occasion when we had been together. That mark upon her brow set me wondering. Across her forehead she drew her hand wearily, as at last she sat forward in her chair, an action as though to clear her confused and troubled brain. "Let me take off your hat," I said and, with a man's clumsiness, removed the old felt hat from her head. As I did so her wealth of soft hair, which I saw had been sadly neglected, fell unkempt about her shoulders. "That--_that woman_!" she suddenly ejaculated, half starting from her seat. "_Ah! that woman_!" she cried. "What woman, dear?" I asked, much mystified at her words. "That woman--that awful woman!" she shouted. "Ah! send her away--save me from her--Oh! save me. _Look_!" And she pointed straight before her at some phantom which she had conjured up in her imagination. At once I realised that she was hysterical, and that some hideous ghost of her past adventure had arisen before her. "Calm yourself, darling," I urged softly, my arm around her waist. "There is no one here. You are alone--alone with me--Claude!" "Claude!" she echoed, turning toward me and gazing blankly into my eyes with an expression which lacked recognition. "Oh--yes!" she added in a tone of surprise. "Why--yes--Claude! Is it you--_really you_?" "Yes. I am Claude--and you are alone with me," I said in great apprehension, for I feared lest she might be demented. No doubt she had been through some terrible experiences since last I had clasped her hand. Again she sighed deeply. For the next few moments she gazed into my eyes in silence. Their stony stare thrilled and awed me. At last a very faint smile played about her lips, and she exclaimed: "Oh, yes! How awfully silly of me, Claude! How very foolish. Forgive me, won't you?" "Forgive you, darling! Why, of course," I said, pressing her closely to me. "But--but that terrible woman!" she cried, still terrified. "You won't let her come near me again--will you?" "No. She shan't. I'm with you, and will protect you, darling. Trust in me." "Ah!" she sighed. "It was awful. How--how I've lived through it I don't know." "Through what?" I asked, eager to induce her to tell her story. "No," she answered. "You--you would never believe me!--you would never understand! Oh! that woman! Look!" and in terror she raised her finger and pointed again straight before her. "Look! Don't you see her! She's fixed her eyes upon me--_those awful leopard's eyes_!"