I remember now. I
suppose she posted after him up to Arta, eh ? "
" That's it. And so she asked you where he was?
" Yes."
" Why, that old flamingo-Mrs. Wainwright insists
that it was a rendezvous."
Every one exchanged glances and laughed a little.
" And did you see any actual fighting ? " asked the
minister.
" No. We only beard it-"
Afterward, as they were trooping up to their rooms,
Peter Tounley spoke musingly. " Well, it looks to me
now as if Old Mother Wainwright was just a bad-minded
old hen."
" Oh, I don't know. How is one going to tell what
the truth is ? "
" At any rate, we are sure now that Coleman had
nothing to do with Nora's debut in Epirus."
They had talked much of Coleman, but in their tones
there always had been a note of indifference or
carelessness. This matter, which to some people was as
vital and fundamental as existence, remained to others
who knew of it only a harmless detail of life, with no
terrible powers, and its significance had faded greatly
when had ended the close associat.ions of the late adventure.
After dinner the professor had gone directly to his
daughter's room. Apparently she had not moved.
He knelt by the bedside again and took one of her
hands. She was not weeping. She looked at him
and smiled through the darkness. " Daddy, I would
like to die," she said. " I think-yes-I would like to
die."
For a long time the old man was silent, but he arose
at last with a definite abruptness and said hoarsely
" Wait! "
Mrs.
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