“Have I seen--how does she come to be here? Ah, I need not ask you. You heard me speak of her and invited her here. You are so good. Did you tell her that I was in this part of the country? I do not think that I ever mentioned that my home was in Brackenshire.” The expression of surprise which had been on his face became one of pleasure. She watched him dumbly, as he unfastened the latch of the window and opened one of the leaves. She saw Clare turn round at the click of the latch, and glance toward the window. She saw the look of surprise that had been on Claude's face come to Clare's as she stood there in the midst of the wheeling birds. The pause lasted only a few seconds; it was broken by the laugh of the girl as she went to the window. He stepped out to meet her with outstretched hand, and the girl laughed again. Agnes fell back against the tapestry curtain clutching it with each hand, and staring across the empty room. “My God! he knows her--he knows her.” One of her hands went down instinctively to the pocket into which she had thrust the letter brought by Clare. She kept her hand over it as though she were trying to hold it back from some one who wanted to get it. That was her attitude while she listened to the surprised greeting of the girl by Claude. He was saying that they had not been parted for long--certainly not so long as Clare--he called her Clare quite trippingly--had predicted they should be; and Clare inquired of him if he knew Miss Mowbray. Was he also a guest in Miss Mowbray's house? “Heavens!” he cried, “surely I mentioned in the course of one of my long chats aboard the old _Andalusian_ that I lived near Brackenhurst.” “Lived near Brackenhurst?” she said with a laugh. “Why, I was under the impression that you lived near Bettinviga, in the land of the Gakennas, beyond the great Smoke Falls of the Zambesi I hope I have improved in my pronunciation of the names. Oh no; you never said anything about Brackenshire. If you had done-so I should certainly have told you that I was going into that country also--that is, if I succeeded in inducing Miss Mowbray to receive me.” The expression that Agnes's face had worn gradually passed away as she heard them chatting together making mutual explanations. She was able to loose her hands from the curtain that had supported her. She was even able to give a smile--a sort of smile--as she straightened herself and took a step free of the curtain and facing the window. “Is it possible that you were fellow-passengers on the _Andalusian_ she asked. “I fancied that I had told you of meeting Clare and her friends aboard the steamer that took us on from Aden,” said he. “Yes, I feel certain that I told you how much better I felt for the sympathy they offered me.”