She had just the same look in her
eyes. I noticed it yesterday--it was just before dinner, too
-- but she never came down."
"She paid so much for her room and extra for meals," Mrs.
Lawrence said thoughtfully. "She never would have a meal unless
she paid for it at the time. To tell you the truth, I was
feeling a bit uneasy about her. She hasn't been in the
diningroom for two days, and from what they tell me there's no
signs of her having eaten anything in her room. As for getting
anything out, why should she? It would be cheaper for her here
than anywhere, if she'd got any money at all."
There was an uncomfortable silence. The little old lady with the
knitting looked down the street into the sultry darkness which
had swallowed up the girl.
"I wonder whether Mr. Tavernake knows anything about her," some
one suggested.
But Tavernake was not in the room.
CHAPTER II
A TETE-A-TETE SUPPER
Tavernake caught her up in New Oxford Street and fell at once
into step with her. He wasted no time whatever upon
preliminaries.
"I should be glad," he said, "if you would tell me your name."
Her first glance at him was fierce enough to have terrified a
different sort of man. Upon Tavernake it had absolutely no
effect.
"You need not unless you like, of course," he went on, "but I
wish to talk to you for a few moments and I thought that it would
be more convenient if I addressed you by name. I do not remember
to have heard it mentioned at Blenheim House, and Mrs.
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