Page:Vance--Terence O'Rourke.djvu/324

 Because of the stillness of the night their voices came very clearly to O'Rourke, who squirmed because he was unintentionally eavesdropping, and could see no way to withdraw without attracting attention to himself.

"Nellie!" said young Senet again; he stretched forth his arms toward her, forgetting the time and place—forgetting everything in the gladness of his heart because this woman stood before him.

The woman stepped back into the shadow; which, however, might not hide the lines that dismay and some emotion nearly akin to terror had graven upon her face. Her eyes stared at the young man as though he had been an apparition—as, indeed, each was to the other—a ghost risen out of the dead days of their youth.

And then, suddenly, and still without speaking, she came forward and clasped Senet's extended hand in both her own.

"Oh!" she cried in a tone that was half a sob. "You—you startled me so, Will—Mr. Senet!"

"Will," Senet insisted gravely.

"But—but," she floundered on, desperately, "it's—it's such a time since we have seen each other—isn't it, Will? You—you must come and see me, some other time. I—I shall be awfully glad, you know, to talk over the old times—the good times we used to have together, Will—"

"Nellie," interrupted the consul-general gently, "you're in some trouble, dear—"

"Bless the boy!" thought O'Rourke. "He'd have choked if he'd kept that 'dear' down another minute!" "Oh, no—no, not at all, Will. I'm simply not very well—I'm here for my health, you know—and your appearing so suddenly startled me."

"Tell me what it is," persisted Senet, "and if I can do