"Was I saying anything?" I answered, feigning surprise. "I thought I
was only thinking. But you were speaking of Luther Warden."

"Was I?" she said, more quietly, but in an absent tone.

"You said he had paid you a great compliment, but do you know----"

I paused, being a bit nervous, and flushed, for she was looking right
at me. Not till she turned away did I finish.

"Do you know," I went on, "last night when I saw you, I thought we must
have met before, and I thought if I had met you anywhere before, it
must have been in Heaven."

I had expected that at a time like this Josiah Nummler would appear.
In that I was disappointed. In his place, with a bark and a bound,
came a lithe setter, a perfect stranger to me, and Mary seized the long
head in her hands and cried: "Why, Flash--good Flash."

She completely ignored my last remark, and patted the dog and talked to
him.

"Isn't he a beauty?" she cried. "He is Mr. Weston's."

"Whose?" I asked, concealing my irritation. "Mr. Weston--and who is
Mr. Weston?"

Mary held up a warning finger. There were footfalls on the gravel walk
around the house.