music. She danced a measure which none of them except the Professor had
ever seen before, coming now and then so close that they could almost feel
her hot breath, and Lenora felt somehow vaguely disturbed by the glitter
of her eyes. An odd perfume was shaken into the air around them from her
one flowing garment, through which her limbs continually flashed. Lenora
looked away.

"I don't like it," she said to Quest simply.

Suddenly Laura leaned forward.

"Look at the Professor," she whispered.

They all turned their heads. A queer change seemed to have come into the
Professor's face. His teeth were gleaming between his parted lips, his
head was a little thrust forward, his eyes were filled with a strange,
hard light. He was a transformed being, unrecognisable, perturbing. Even
while they watched, the girl floated close to where he sat and leaned
towards him with a queer, mocking smile. His hand suddenly descended upon
her foot. She laughed still more. There was a little exclamation from
Lenora. The Professor's whole frame quivered, he snatched the anklet from
the girl's ankle and bent over it. She leaned towards him, a torrent of
words streaming from her lips. The Professor answered her in her own
language. She listened to him in amazement. The anger passed. She held out
both her hands. The Professor still argued. She shook her head. Finally he
placed some gold in her palms. She patted him on the cheek, laughed into
his eyes, pointed behind and resumed her dancing. The anklet remained in
the Professor's hand.

"Say, we'll get out of this," Quest said. "The girls have had enough."