He went to work on the figures again, when suddenly he heard a high
clear voice singing outside. At first he thought it was a bird, but
no bird could execute such trills and shakes, so by the time the
voice arrived at the office door M. Vandeloup came to the conclusion
that the owner of the voice was a woman, and that the woman was Miss
Kitty Marchurst.

He leaned back in his chair and wondered idly if she would knock at
the door or enter without ceremony. The latter course was the one
adopted by Miss Marchurst, for she threw open the door and stood
there blushing and pouting at the embarrassing situation in which
she now found herself.

'I thought I would find Mrs Villiers here,' she said, in a low,
sweet voice, the peculiar timbre of which sent a thrill through
Gaston's young blood, as he arose to his feet. Then she looked up,
and catching his dark eyes fixed on her with a good deal of
admiration in them, she looked down and commenced drawing figures on
the dusty floor with the tip of a very dainty shoe.

'Madame has gone down the mine,' said M. Vandeloup, politely, 'but
she desired me to say that she would be back soon, and that you were
to wait here, and I was to entertain you;' then, with a grave bow,
he placed the only chair in the office at the disposal of his
visitor, and leaned up against the mantelpiece in an attitude of
unstudied grace. Miss Marchurst accepted his offer, and depositing
her small person in the big cane chair, she took furtive glances at
him, while Gaston, whose experience of women was by no means
limited, looked at her coolly, in a manner which would have been