portal of the ancient house of refuge from the world.
Miss Orbison helped her brother to let himself down into his chair, where he reclined, sighing, with a hand over his eyes; but immediately she made a sign to Eugene Rennie, and walked to a little distance.
"I thought what you promised me might not be necessary," she said hurriedly, as the American joined her. "I thought the poor foolish little thing had done it herself and saved us the trouble, when Charles spoke to her like that. He did make it pretty plain that he saw how absurdly self-centred she was, I must say! I thought then there might be no need for you to speak to her; but since she told him she was the person who sang at the Greek theatre, I'm afraid you must do it. He's talked of it again and again; nothing in his life ever made such an impression on him as that voice, and now he knows it was hers—well, I'm afraid you must go ahead, Mr. Rennie. You'll try to make her understand?"
"Yes," he said dejectedly. "I suppose so."
He waited an hour; then he went to the door of the cell used as a salon by Mrs. Ambler and her daughter, and knocked.
Claire was there alone.
