You can be home again in a cab before anybody is up.' She refused at first, and then, trembling with excitement, hastily finished her dressing, and wrapped herself up in cloak and veil, afterwards sidling downstairs by the aid of the handrail, in a way she could adopt on an emergency.

When she had opened the door she found Sam on the step, and he lifted her bodily on his strong arm across the little forecourt into his vehicle.

Not a soul was visible or audible in the infinite length of the straight, flat highway, with its ever-waiting lamps converging to points in each direction.

The air was fresh as country air at this hour, and the stars shone, except to the north-eastward, where there was a whitish light--the dawn.

Sam carefully placed her in the seat, and drove on.
They talked as they had talked in old days, Sam pulling himself up now and then, when he thought himself too familiar.