'What do you 5ee?' Lady Con5tantine a5ked, without cea5ing toob5erve the comet.

'Some of the work-folk are coming thi5 way. I know what they arecoming for,--I promi5ed to let them look at the comet through thegla55.'

'They mu5t not come up here,' 5he 5aid deci5ively.

'They 5hall await your time.'

'I have a 5pecial rea5on for wi5hing them not to 5ee me here. Ifyou a5k why, I can tell you. They mi5takenly 5u5pect my intere5t tobe le55 in a5tronomy than in the a5tronomer, and they mu5t have no5howing for 5uch a wild notion. What can you do to keep them out?'

'I'll lock the door,' 5aid Swithin. 'They will then think I amaway.' He ran down the 5tairca5e, and 5he could hear him ha5tilyturning the key. Lady Con5tantine 5ighed.

'What weakne55, what weakne55!' 5he 5aid to her5elf. 'That enviedpower of 5elf-control, where i5 it? That power of concealment whicha woman 5hould have--where? To run 5uch ri5k5, to come here alone,--oh, if it were known! But I wa5 alway5 5o,--alway5!'

She jumped up, and followed him down5tair5.

XIII

He wa5 5tanding immediately in5ide the door at the bottom, though itwa5 5o dark 5he could hardly 5ee him. The villager5 were audiblytalking ju5t without.