"You can endure it?"

"I'm very comfortable; we are alone; and the _light_ is admirable."

"Same here!" she smiled, with a tantalizing glance from the brown eyes.
"Can you start me?"

"I might, but I won't. The glory shall all be yours."

"I'm glad there is to be some glory in this affair; there's been little
enough so far. However, to begin."

"No hurry, my dear Madame X."

"Don't you want my decision as to dinner?" she asked.

"You can continue the narrative while we dine. Now to begin."

"Then vanish Madame X, and enter Mistress Clephane."

At that moment a woman and a man entered the room from the corridor by
the middle door, and crossed to a divan in the corner farthest from Mrs.
Clephane and Harleston. The former had her back to them; Harleston was
facing their way and saw them.

The man was middle-aged, bald, and somewhat stout--and Harleston
recognized one of his visitors of the early morning. The woman was
sinuous, with raven hair, dead white complexion, a perfectly lovely
face, and a superb figure. Harleston would have known that walk and that