But--she didn't recognize me
by the slightest sign, so I knew of course it couldn't be you."
He looked straight at Anne as he spoke, and saw her lower her eyes for a
moment with an odd little smile on her lips. She did not long evade his
gaze, however, but gave him back his look unflinchingly.
"It was I," she said. "But I'm not going to tell you how I came to be
there, nor why I didn't bow to you. All I want to say is that there was
a reason for it all, and if I could tell you, you would understand."
Well, he could not look into her face and not trust her in whatever she
might elect to do, and he said something to that effect. Whereupon she
smiled and thanked him, and said she was sorry to be so mysterious. He
recalled with a fresh thrill how she had looked at him at that strange
meeting, for now that he knew that it was surely she, the great fact
which stayed by him was that she had given him that look to remember,
given it to him with intent, beyond a doubt.
They came out presently upon a long porch overhanging the shore of a
small lake. The September sun was already low, and the light upon the
blue hills in the distance was turning slowly to a dusky purple. The
place was very quiet, for it was growing late in the tourist season, and
the inn was remote from main highways of travel.
"Can't we stay here just a bit?" King asked pleadingly. "It won't take
us more than an hour to get back if we go along at a fair pace.
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