"I don't understand--but I'll do as you direct," she murmured.

"I want to present you to Mrs. Spencer--the woman whom, you will recall,
I asked you in the red-room if you recognized. Be careful, she is of the
enemy--and particularly dangerous."

"Everyone seems to be dangerous except myself," she replied. "I'm an
imbecile, or a child in arms."

"_I'm_ not dangerous to you," he answered.

"That, sir, remains to be proven."

"And I like your idea of the child in arms--provided it's my arms," he
whispered.

Her reply was a reproving glance from her brown eyes and a shake of the
head.

"I'm delighted to meet you, Mrs. Clephane," Mrs. Spencer greeted, before
Harleston could say a word. She made place on the divan and drew Mrs.
Clephane down beside her. "You're Robert Clephane's widow, are you not?"

"Robert Clephane was, I believe, a distant cousin," Mrs. Clephane
responded. "De Forrest Clephane was my husband. Did you know him, Mrs.
Spencer?"

"I did not. _Robert_--" with the faintest stress on the name--"was the
only Clephane I knew. A nice chap, Mrs. Clephane; though, since you're
not his widow, I must admit that he was a bit gay--a very considerable