“Why, Jelnik!” exclaimed Doctor Geddes, in a voice of pure astonishment, “I knew you could tinkle out a tune on a piano, but, man, I didn’t dream it was in you to sing like this!” And he stared at his cousin.

“I’d make bold to swear that Mr. Jelnik has a dozen more surprises up his sleeve, if he chose to let us see them,” The Author said pleasantly.

“My father’s system of education included music.  For which I praise him in the gates,” Mr. Jelnik replied casually.

“’Tinkle out a tune on a piano’!” breathed Alicia, and cast a look of deep disdain upon the blundering doctor.  “Why, I’ve never in all my life heard anybody sing like that!”

But I saw him through a mist, and felt my heart ache and burn in my breast, and wondered what he was doing here in my house that might have been his house, and how I was going to walk through my life after he had gone out of it.

I had a wild desire to run outside into the dark night and the hushed garden, away from everybody and weep and weep, despairingly.  Because a veil had been torn from my eyes this night, and I knew that the cruellest thing that can happen to a woman had happened to me.  There could be but one thing more bitter—­that he or anybody else in the world should know it.

So I sat there, dumb, while everybody else said pleasant things to him, their voices sounding afar, far off.

After a while we went into the living-room where our new piano is, and he played for us—­Hungarian things, I think.  Then he drifted into Chopin, and Alicia stood by and turned his music for him.

“Those two,” whispered Miss Emmeline, “are the most idyllic figures I have ever seen.”  I think she sighed as she said it.  “Youth is the most beautiful thing in the world,” she added.

The Westmacotes, weary after a long journey, retired early.  Mr. Jelnik and Doctor Geddes had gone off together.  The secretary had to finish a chapter.  The Author lingered to ask, oddly enough, if I had the original plan of Hynds House.  Did I know who designed it?

“Why don’t you interview Judge Gatchell?”

“I did.  He was polite and friendly enough, but knows no more than is strictly legal.  He told me he found Hynds House here when he arrived and expected to leave it here when he departed.  And Geddes knows no more.  Geddes isn’t interested in Hynds House by itself,” finished The Author, with a crooked smile.

“Perhaps Mr. Jelnik may have some family papers.”

“Perhaps he may.  I’d give something for a whack at those papers, Miss Smith.”

“Why not ask him to let you see them, then?”

“Tut, tut!” said The Author, crossly, and took himself off.

When I was kimonoed, braided, and slippered, Alicia in like raiment came in from her room next to mine, sat down on the floor, and leaned her head against my knees, with her cheek against my hand.

For a while, as women do, we discussed the events of the evening.  Both of us had deep cause for gratification; yet both of us were strangely subdued.