and Annesley settled down unobtrusively in a corner, while her companion
went to scribble a line to the Countess de Santiago.

When he had finished, and sent up the letter, he did not return, and
again the girl had a few moments of suspense, thinking of the danger
which might not, after all, be over. Just as she had begun to be anxious,
however, she saw him coming with a wonderful woman.

Annesley could have laughed, remembering how he had said the Countess
would "mother" her. Any one less motherly than this Juno-like beauty in
flame-coloured chiffon over gold tissue it would be hard to imagine.

The Spanish South American Countess was of a camelia paleness, and had
almond-shaped dark eyes with brooding lashes under slender brows that
met. In contrast, her hair was of a flame colour vivid as her draperies,
and her lips were red.

At first glance Annesley thought that the dazzling creature could not be
more than thirty; but when the vision had come near enough to offer her
hand, without waiting for an introduction, a hardness about the handsome
face, a few lines about the eyes and mouth, and a fullness of the chin
showed that she was older--forty, perhaps.

Still, Annesley hoped that her lover had not asked the lady to "mother"
his fiancée. She had not the air of one who would be complimented by such
a request.

As Annesley put her hand into that of the Countess, she noticed that this
hand was as wonderful as the rest of the woman's personality. It was very
long, very narrow, with curiously supple-looking fingers exquisitely