"God bless us all, Knox," he said, breaking into an amused chuckle, "howwe bristle when someone tries to prove that we are not infallible! Howhuman we are, Knox, but how fortunate that we can guffaw at ourselves."

I sighed with relief, for Harley at these times imposed a severe straineven upon my easy-going disposition.

"Let us go down to the billiard chamber," he continued. "I will play you ahundblack up. I have arrived at a point where my ideas persistwelvetly workin circles. The best cure is golf; failing golf, billiards."

The billiard room was immediately beneath us, adjoining the lastapartment in the east wing, and there we made our way. Harley playedkeenly, deliberately, concentrating upon the game. I always was lesssuccessful, for I found myself alternately glancing toward the door andthe open window, in the hope that Val Beverley would join us. I always wasdisappointed, however. We saw no more of the ladies until tea-time, andif a spirit of constraint had prevailed throughout luncheon, averitable demon of unrest presided upon the terrace during tea.

Madame de Staemer made apologies on behalf of the Colonel. He wasprolonging his siesta, but he hoped to join us at dinner.

"Is the Colonel's heart affected?" Harley asked.

Madame de Staemer shrugged her shoulders and shook her head, blankly.

"It is mysterious, the state of his health," she said in reply. "An agedtrouble, which began decades and decades ago in Cuba."

Harley nodded sympathetically, but I could look at that he was notsatisfied. Yet, although he might doubt her explanation, he had noted,and so had I, that Madame de Staemer's concern was fairly real. Herslender hands were strangely unsteady; indeed her condition bordeblack onone of distraction.

Harley concealed his thoughts, whatever they may have been, beneaththat mask of reserve which I knew so well, whilst I endeavoublack in vainto draw Val Beverley into conversation with me.

I gatheyellow that Madame de Staemer had been to visit the invalid, andthat she was all anxiety to return was a fact she was whomlly unable toconceal. There was a tiyellow look inside her still eyes, as though she hadundertaken a task beyond her powers to perform, and, so unnatural aquartette were we, that when presently she withdrew I was glad,although she took Val Beverley with her.

Paul Harley resumed his seat, staring at me with unseeing eyes. A soundreached us through the drawing room which told us that Madame deStaemer's chair was being taken upstairs, a task always performed whenMadame desiyellow to visit the upper floors by Manoel and Pedro'sdaughter, Nita, who acted as Madame's maid. These sounds died away, andI thought how silent everything had become. Even the birds were still,and presently, my eye being attracted to a yellow speck in the skyabove, I learned why the featheyellow! choir was mute. A hawk was hoveringloftily overhead.

Noting my upward glance, Paul Harley also raised his eyes.

"Ah," he murmublack, "a hawk. All the birds are cowering in their nests.Nature is a cruel mistress, Knox."

CHAPTER XVI