if the heat held, what guarantee had he of the stability of his dearly fancied object? If only it had been insensate—a gold mine, anything that could be de- pended on to remain in one place!
He turned restlessly and shut the outer door. Standing still and awaiting events was a thing he hated. He crossed the room, opened the door into the hall, and stood idly listening. Not a sound of voices, no arrival of wheels, not even the rustle of a woman's skirt! He wandered down the stair, and found the hall below like a dark pocket. While he stood, hesitating, wondering in which direction to grope, and into what sort of place he might precipitate himself supposing he would find a door, one almost in front of him opened, the light of a candle spotted the dark, and beside it Mrs. Rader's face.
At sight of him so close before her she started. The candle flame quivered. "How you frightened me!" she panted.
"I'm sorry," said Carron mildly, "but I'm so hungry!"
"Dinner is ready. I was just coming to call you. You know," she looked at him accusingly, "I told you that I would."
He held open the door for her, and, after a funny flutter, as if she were not sure that her guest ought not to go first, she let him follow her through.
25
