evening," she said.

"A small black dog, something like a schipperke?" asked Comus in a
low voice.

"Yes, that was it."

"I saw it myself to-night; it ran from behind my chair just as I
was sitting down. Don't say anything to the others about it; it
would frighten my mother."

"Have you ever seen it before?" Lady Veula asked quickly.

"Once, when I was six years old. It followed my father
downstairs."

Lady Veula said nothing. She knew that Comus had lost his father
at the age of six.

In the drawing-room Serena made nervous excuses for her talkative
friend.

"Really, rather an interesting man, you know, and up to the eyes in
all sorts of movements. Just the sort of person to turn loose at a
drawing-room meeting, or to send down to a mission-hall in some
unheard-of neighbourhood. Given a sounding-board and a harmonium,
and a titled woman of some sort in the chair, and he'll be
perfectly happy; I must say I hadn't realised how overpowering he
might be at a small dinner-party."