She said nothing.

"Do you mind my coming? I was going to write and ask you. But walking
in this way rather appealed to me. Do you mind?"

"No."

"May I stay and chat for a moment? I'm on my way to the opera. May I
stay a few minutes?"

She nodded, not yet sufficiently composed to talk very much.

He glanced about him for a place to lay coat and hat; then slipping
out of the soft fur, disclosed himself in evening dress.

She had dropped into the arm-chair by the radiator; and, as he came
forward, stripping off his white gloves, suddenly she became conscious
of her bare, slippered feet and drew them under the edges of her
negligee.

"I was not expecting anybody,--" she began, and checked herself.
Certainly she did not care to rise, now, and pass before him in search
of more suitable clothing. Therefore the less said the better.

He had found a rather shaky chair, and had drawn it up in front of the
radiator.

"This is very jolly," he said. "Do you realise that this is our third
encounter?"

"Yes."

"It really begins to look inevitable, doesn't it?"

She smiled.

"Three times, you know, is usually considered significant," he added
laughingly. "It doesn't dismay you, does it?"

She laughed, resting her cheek against the upholstered wing of her
chair and looked at him with shy but undisguised pleasure.