By Clemency James understood that she meant her daughter, of whom Doctor Gordon had spoken.  He wondered at the unusual name, as he followed his hostess.  His room was on the same floor as the living-room.  She threw open a door at the other side of the hall, and James saw an exceedingly comfortable apartment with a hearth-fire, with book-shelves, and a couch-bed covered with a rug, and a desk.  “I thought you would prefer this room,” said the woman.  “There are others on the second floor, but this has the advantage of your being able to use it as a sitting-room, and you may like to have your friends, whom I trust you will find in Alton, come in from time to time.  You will please make yourself quite at home.”

James had not yet fairly comprehended the beauty of the woman.  He was still too dazzled.  Had he gone away at that time, he could not for the life of him have described her, but he did glance, as a woman might have done, at her gown.  It was of a soft heavy red silk, trimmed with lace, and was cut out in a small square at the throat.  This glimpse of firm white throat made James wonder as to evening costume for himself.  At home he never dreamed of such a thing, but here it might be different.  His hostess divined his thoughts.  She smiled at him as if he were a child.  “No,” said she, “you do not need to dress for dinner.  Doctor Gordon never does when we are by ourselves.”

Then she went away, closing the door softly after her.

James noticed that over the windows of this room were only ordinary shades, and curtains of some soft red stuff.  There were no shutters.  He looked about him.  He was charmed with his room, and it did away to a great extent with his feeling of homesickness.  It was not unlike what his room at college had been.  It was more like all rooms.  He had no feeling of the secrecy which the great living-room gave him, and which irritated him.  He brushed his clothes and his hair, and washed his hands and face.  While he was doing so he heard wheels and a horse’s fast trot.  He guessed immediately that the doctor had returned.  He therefore, as soon as he had completed the slight changes in his toilet, started to return to the living-room.  Crossing the hall he met Doctor Gordon, who seized him by the shoulder, and whispered in his ear, “Not a word before Mrs. Ewing about what happened this afternoon.”

James nodded.  “More mystery,” thought he with asperity.

“You have not spoken of it to her already, I hope,” said Doctor Gordon with quick anxiety.

“No, I have not.  I have scarcely seen her.”

“Well, not a word, I beg of you.  She is very nervous.”

The doctor had been removing his overcoat and hat.  When he had hung them on some stag’s horn in the hall, he went with James into the living-room.

There, beside the fire, sat the girl in brown whom James had met that afternoon on the road.

CHAPTER II