WITH a sigh of relief Susy drew the pins from her hat and threwherself down on the lounge.

　　The ordeal she had dreaded was over, and Mr. and Mrs. Vanderlynhad safely gone their several ways. Poor Ellie was not notedfor prudence, and when life smiled on her she was given tobetraying her gratitude too openly; but thanks to Susy'svigilance (and, no doubt, to Strefford's tacit co-operation),the dreaded twenty-four hours were happily over. NelsonVanderlyn had departed without a shadow on his brow, and thoughEllie's, when she came down from bidding Nick good-bye, hadseemed to Susy less serene than usual, she became her normalself as soon as it was discovered that the red morocco bag withher jewel-box was missing. Before it had been discovered in thedepths of the gondola they had reached the station, and therewas just time to thrust her into her "sleeper," from which shewas seen to wave an unperturbed farewell to her friends.

　　"Well, my dear, we've been it through," Strefford remarked witha deep breath as the St. Moritz express rolled away.

　　"Oh," Susy sighed in mute complicity; then, as if to cover herself-betrayal: "Poor darling, she does so like what she likes!""Yes--even if it's a rotten bounder," Strefford agreed.

　　"A rotten bounder? Why, I thought--""That it was still young Davenant? Lord, no--not for the lastsix months. Didn't she tell you--?"Susy felt herself redden. "I didn't ask her--""Ask her? You mean you didn't let her!""I didn't let her. And I don't let you," Susy added sharply, ashe helped her into the gondola.

　　"Oh, all right: I daresay you're right. It simplifies things,"Strefford placidly acquiesced.

　　She made no answer, and in silence they glided homeward.

　　Now, in the quiet of her own room, Susy lay and pondered on thedistance she had travelled during the last year. Strefford hadread her mind with his usual penetration. It was true thatthere had been a time when she would have thought it perfectlynatural that Ellie should tell her everything; that the name ofyoung Davenant's successor should be confided to her as a matterof course. Apparently even Ellie had been obscurely aware ofthe change, for after a first attempt to force her confidenceson Susy she had contented herself with vague expressions ofgratitude, allusive smiles and sighs, and the pretty "surprise"of the sapphire bangle slipped onto her friend's wrist in theact of their farewell embrace.

　　The bangle was extremely handsome. Susy, who had anauctioneer's eye for values, knew to a fraction the worth ofthose deep convex stones alternating with small emeralds andbrilliants. She was glad to own the bracelet, and enchantedwith the effect it produced on her slim wrist; yet, even whileadmiring it, and rejoicing that it was hers, she had alreadytransmuted it into specie, and reckoned just how far it would gotoward the paying of domestic necessities. For whatever came toher now interested her only as something more to be offered upto Nick.

　　The door opened and Nick came in. Dusk had fallen, and shecould not see his face; but something in the jerk of the door-handle roused her ever-wakeful apprehension. She hurried towardhim with outstretched wrist.

　　"Look, dearest--wasn't it too darling of Ellie?"She pressed the button of the lamp that lit her dressing-table,and her husband's face started unfamiliarly out of the twilight.

　　She slipped off the bracelet and held it up to him.

　　"Oh, I can go you one better," he said with a laugh; and pullinga morocco case from his pocket he flung it down among the scent-bottles.

　　Susy opened the case automatically, staring at the pearl becauseshe was afraid to look again at Nick.

　　"Ellie--gave you this?" she asked at length.

　　"Yes. She gave me this." There was a pause. "Would you mindtelling me," Lansing continued in the same dead-level tone,"exactly for what services we've both been so handsomely paid?""The pearl is beautiful," Susy murmured, to gain time, while herhead spun round with unimaginable terrors.

　　"So are your sapphires; though, on closer examination, myservices would appear to have been valued rather higher thanyours. Would you be kind enough to tell me just what theywere?"Susy threw her head back and looked at him. "What on earth areyou talking about, Nick! Why shouldn't Ellie have given usthese things? Do you forget that it's like our giving her apen-wiper or a button-hook? What is it you are trying tosuggest?"It had cost her a considerable effort to hold his eyes while sheput the questions. Something had happened between him andEllie, that was evident-one of those hideous unforeseeableblunders that may cause one's cleverest plans to crumble at astroke; and again Susy shuddered at the frailty of her bliss.

　　But her old training stood her in good stead. There had beenmore than one moment in her past when everything-somebodyelse's everything-had depended on her keeping a cool head and aclear glance. It would have been a wonder if now, when she felther own everything at stake, she had not been able to put up asgood a defence.

　　"What is it?" she repeated impatiently, as Lansing continued toremain silent.

　　"That's what I'm here to ask," he returned, keeping his eyes assteady as she kept hers. "There's no reason on earth, as yousay, why Ellie shouldn't give us presents--as expensive presentsas she likes; and the pearl is a beauty. All I ask is: forwhat specific services were they given? For, allowing for allthe absence of scruple that marks the intercourse of trulycivilized people, you'll probably agree that there are limits;at least up to now there have been limits ....""I really don't know what you mean. I suppose Ellie wanted toshow that she was grateful to us for looking after Clarissa.""But she gave us all this in exchange for that, didn't she?" hesuggested, with a sweep of the hand around the beautiful shadowyroom. "A whole summer of it if we choose."Susy smiled. "Apparently she didn't think that enough.""What a doting mother! It shows the store she sets upon herchild.""Well, don't you set store upon Clarissa?""Clarissa is exquisite; but her mother didn't mention her inoffering me this recompense."Susy lifted her head again. "Whom did she mention?""Vanderlyn," said Lansing.

　　"Vanderlyn? Nelson?""Yes--and some letters ... something about letters .... What isit, my dear, that you and I have been hired to hide fromVanderlyn? Because I should like to know," Nick broke outsavagely, "if we've been adequately paid."Susy was silent: she needed time to reckon up her forces, andstudy her next move; and her brain was in such a whirl of fearthat she could at last only retort: "What is it that Ellie saidto you?"Lansing laughed again. "That's just what you'd like to findout--isn't it?--in order to know the line to take in making yourexplanation."The sneer had an effect that he could not have foreseen, andthat Susy herself had not expected.

　　"Oh, don't--don't let us speak to each other like that!" shecried; and sinking down by the dressing-table she hid her facein her hands.

　　It seemed to her, now, that nothing mattered except that theirlove for each other, their faith in each other, should be savedfrom some unhealable hurt. She was willing to tell Nickeverything--she wanted to tell him everything--if only she couldbe sure of reaching a responsive chord in him. But the scene ofthe cigars came back to her, and benumbed her. If only shecould make him see that nothing was of any account as long asthey continued to love each other!

　　His touch fell compassionately on her shoulder. "Poor child--don't," he said.

　　Their eyes met, but his expression checked the smile breakingthrough her tears. "Don't you see," he continued, "that we'vegot to have this thing out?"She continued to stare at him through a prism of tears. "Ican't--while you stand up like that," she stammered, childishly.

　　She had cowered down again into a corner of the lounge; butLansing did not seat himself at her side. He t............