a cushion in the corner. At last she failed to answer when spoken to;
evidently she had fallen asleep.

"My daughter, you need rest," said Ah Ben gently, and at the same
moment a clock upon the stairs began striking eleven.

Dorothy opened her eyes and looked around.

"I must have fallen asleep!" she exclaimed quite naively.

She bade them each "Good night," and then started up the uncanny
stairs. Near the top she paused in the darkness, and looking over the
balustrade into the hall below, seemed to be waiting. Perhaps she was
not so completely in the shadow as she imagined, and perhaps Paul did
not see aright, but through the gloom he thought he caught the flash
of a diamond as it moved toward her lips and away again. If tempted
to return the salute, his better judgment prevailed, and while
holding the stem of his pipe in his right hand, pressed the tobacco
firmly into the bowl with his left. A troublesome thought presented
itself. Could this girl have entered into any kind of entanglement
with his namesake which would have demanded a tenderer attitude than
he had assumed toward her? Had he neglected opportunities and failed
to avail himself of privileges which he had unknowingly inherited?
For an instant the thought disturbed Mr. Henley's equilibrium, but a
moment's reflection convinced him that the idea was not worth
considering. Whatever it was he had seen upon the stairs he knew was
not intended for his eyes, even if it had been meant for himself.

"Shall we smoke another pipe?" said Ah Ben. "I'm something of an owl
myself, and shall sit here for quite a while before retiring."