vacation. Fricaseed hat the _pièce de resistance_!"




CHAPTER III


It was a sumptuous library in which Gila Dare awaited the coming of Paul
Courtland.

Great, deep, red-leather chairs stood everywhere invitingly, the floor
was spread with a magnificent specimen of Royal Bokhara, the rich
recesses of the noble walls were lined with books in rare editions, a
heavily carved table of dull black wood from some foreign land sprawled
in the center of the room and held a great bronze lamp of curious
pattern, bearing a ruby light. Ornate bronzes lurked on pedestals in
shadows, unexpectedly, and caught the eye alarmingly, like grim ones set
to watch. A throbbing fire like the heart of a lit ruby burned in a
massive fireplace of grotesque tiles, as though it were the opening into
great depths of unquenchable fire to which this room might be but an
approach.

Gila herself, slight, dark-eyed, with pearl-white skin and dusky hair,
was dressed in crimson velvet, soft and clinging like chiffon, catching
the light and shimmering it with strange effect. The dark hair was
curiously arranged, and stabbed just above her ears with two dagger-like
combs flashing with jewels. A single jewel burned at her throat on an
invisible chain, and jewels flashed from the little pointed
crimson-satin slippers, setting off the slim ankles in their