I entered softly, thinking she might be curled up asleep, but as I crossed the threshold I heard the sound of laughter.  The next moment I saw there were two figures standing at the end of the long room in front of the window.

Suzee had her back to me and a man was standing beside her.  Just as I came in I saw her raise her face, and the man put his arm round her and kiss her.  Two or three steps carried me across the room and I struck them apart with a blow on the side of the man’s head that sent him reeling into a corner.

It was the young Mexican waiter that had hitherto brought us all our meals.

The table was still covered with the dinner things, a bottle of wine stood on it and two half-filled glasses.  My impression, gathered in that first furious glance, was that he had brought up her dinner and she had invited him to stay and share at least the wine and cigarettes.  Some of these lay on the table, and the room was full of smoke.

Suzee gave a scream of terror and then crouched down on a chair, looking at me.

The waiter picked himself up, and, catching hold of his iron stove-fitted basket in which he had brought up the dinner, slunk out of the room.

I was left alone with Suzee, and I looked at her, with an immense sense of disgust and repulsion swelling up in me.

“So you can’t even be trusted an hour or two, it seems,” I said contemptuously, throwing myself into a chair opposite her.

Suzee began to sob.  Tears were her invariable refuge under all circumstances.

“Treevor, you were so long.  I was all alone, and I was sure you were with another woman.”

“If you would learn to believe what I say and not fancy every one tells lies, as I suppose you do,” I answered hotly, “it would be a great deal better for you.  I went to dine with a bachelor friend this evening, as I told you, and what made me later than I otherwise should have been was that I stopped to buy a present for you on my way back.”

Suzee’s tears dried instantly.

“A present!  Oh, what is it, Treevor?” she said eagerly.  “Do show it me.  Where is it?”

I drew the case out of my pocket and opened it.  The electric light flashed on the opals, and they blazed with orange and tawny fires on the white velvet.

Suzee gave a little cry of wonder and delight, and then sat staring at them breathlessly.

“I don’t feel at all inclined to give them to you now,” I remarked coldly.

“Oh, yes, Treevor, do let me have them.  It was all the man’s fault.  I did not want him.  I could not help it.”

“I heard you laughing as I came in,” I returned, more than ever disgusted by her lies and her throwing all the blame on her companion.  “It’s no use lying to me, Suzee, you found that out at Sitka.  What I want to make clear to you is this:  if I find you doing this sort of thing again I shall send you away from me altogether, because I won’t have it.”