alert, and as far from drowsiness as he had ever known himself, was yet
more roused by realizing that Mrs. Westangle was not letting his hand go
at once, but, unless it was mere absent-mindedness, was conveying through
it the wish to keep him. She fluttered a little more closely up to him,
and twittered out, "Miss Shirley wants me to let you know that she has
told me about your coming together, and everything."

"Oh, I'm very glad," Verrian said, not sure that it was the right thing.

"I don't know why she feels so, but she has a right to do as she pleases
about it. She's not a guest."

"No," Verrian assented.

"It happens very well, though, for the ghost-seeing that people don't
know she's here. After that I shall tell them. In fact, she wants me
to, for she must be on the lookout for other engagements. I am going to
do everything I can for her, and if you hear of anything--"

Verrian bowed, with a sense of something offensive in her words which he
could not logically feel, since it was a matter of business and was put
squarely on a business basis. "I should be very glad," he said,
noncommittally.

"She was sure from the first," Mrs. Westangle went on, as if there were
some relation between the fact and her request, "that you were not the
actor. She knew you were a writer."

"Oh, indeed!" Verrian said.