The deal progressed hopefully. David discovered the five owners in Rogers's syndicate to be five ordinary men, with no particular business courage and no courage of any other kind, and whose interest in their own welfare was their only interest in life. However, they had confidence in Rogers's success, and stood solidly behind him--which was all that could be desired of them. From his first meeting with Jordon, David, too, was confident of success. Jordon held off, talked about preposterous prices--but David felt surrender beneath the grand air with which the general agent brushed Rogers's proposition aside. The company had to have the land, so it had to meet Rogers's terms. And after each subsequent meeting David felt that much nearer the day of surrender. One morning, two weeks after he had entered upon his new duties, he was looking through some papers in the living-room relating to the land, when Kate knocked and entered. "There's a woman out there wants to see you," she said, with a sharp glance. "What's she want?" "She wouldn't tell me. She said you'd see her all right--she was an old friend. If she is, I think some of your friends had better sign the pledge!" David followed Kate into the office. A tall woman rose from his chair and smiled at him. It was Lillian Drew. The life went out of him. He stood with one hand against the door jamb and stared at her. When he had seen her five years ago she had had grace, and lines, and a hardened sort of beauty--and she had worn silks and diamonds. Now the face was flushed, and coarsened, and lined with wrinkles--the hands were gemless, the hair carelessly done--and in place of the rich gown there was an ill-fitting jacket and skirt. It was evident that for her the last five years had been a dizzy incline. "What a warm welcome!" she said, with a short laugh. David did not answer her. Kate's quick eyes looked from one to the other. "Wouldn't you just as soon our talk should be private?" Lillian Drew asked, with a smile of irony. "You'd better run out for awhile, little girl." Kate glanced at her with instinctive hatred. Lillian Drew, whom the five years had made more ready with vindictiveness, glared back. "Come, run along, little girl!" Kate turned to David. "You'd better leave us alone for a few minutes," he said with an effort. Kate jerked on her hat, jabbed in the pins, marched by Lillian Drew with "you old cat!" and passed out into the street. "Well, now--what do you want?" David demanded. "Oh, I've just come to return your call. May I sit down?--I'm tired." And smiling her baiting smile she sank back into David's chair. David crossed to his desk and looked harshly down upon her. "How did you find me?"