.

far better than sitting up here with you--and conscience." But he only lay back deeper in the velvet chair and lighted another cigar.
"Kit-Ki," he said, "the words men utter count in the reckoning; but not as heavily as the words men leave unuttered; and what a man does scores deeply; but--alas for the scars of the deeds he has left undone." The logs were now wrapped in flame, and their low mellow roaring mingled to a monotone with the droning of the cat on his knees.
Long after his cigar burnt bitter, he sat with eyes fixed on the blaze.
When the flames at last began to flicker and subside, his lids fluttered, then drooped; but he had lost all reckoning of time when he opened them again to find Miss Erroll in furs and ball-gown kneeling on the hearth and heaping kindling on the coals, and her pretty little Alsatian maid beside her, laying a log across the andirons.
"Upon my word!" he murmured, confused; then rising quickly, "Is that you, Miss Erroll?
What time is it ?" "Four o'clock in the morning, Captain Selwyn," she said, straightening up to her full height.

"This room is icy; are you frozen ?" Chilled through, he stood looking about in a dazed way, incredulous of the hour and of his own slumber.
"I was conversing with Kit-Ki a moment ago," he protested, in such a tone of deep reproach that Eileen laughed while her maid relieved her of furs and scarf.
"Susanne, just unhook those two that I can't manage; light the fire in my bedroom; _et merci bien, ma petite!_" The little maid vanished; Kit-Ki, who had been unceremoniously spilled from Selwyn's knees, sat yawning, then rose and walked noiselessly to the hearth.
"I don't know how I happened to do it," he muttered, still abashed by his plight.
"We rekindled the fire for your benefit," she said; "you had better use it before you retire." And she seated herself in the arm-chair, stretching out her ungloved hands to the blaze--smooth, innocent hands, so soft, so amazingly fresh and white.
He moved a step forward into the warmth, stood a moment, then reached forward for a chair and drew it up beside hers.
"Do you mean to say you are not sleepy ?" he asked.
"I?
No, not in the least.

I will be to-morrow, though." "Did you have a good time ?" "Yes--rather." "Wasn't it gay ?" "Gay?
Oh, very." Her replies were unusually short--almost preoccupied.

She was generally more communicative.
"You danced a lot, I dare say," he ventured.
"Yes--a lot," studying the floor.
"Decent partners ?" "Oh, yes." "Who was there ?" She looked up at him.