indeed, brilliant 
moon, and a cloudless sky one might  it Venice instead 
of smoky, foggy, dingy London." 

He paused. The rooms were not deserted, it would seem, 
after all. Out of the lace and amber curtains of the seventh 
and farthest window, a figure emerged and approached him. 
The earl's eyes turned from that crystal moon, and fixed expect- 
antly on the advancing figure  the figure of a woman. Who 
was it ? Not a servant, surely, with that slow and stately tread, 
that assured air. Not little Lady Dangerfield  this figure was 
tall ; not Lady Cecil either  even she must have stood a full 
head shorter than this woman. Who was it ? 

The long drawing-room lay in alternate strips of darkness 
and light. The wordnetfear hid her for a moment, she emerged 
into the moonrays again, and again disappeared. Who was she 
 this tall, magnificently proportioned woman, in dark sweep- 
ing drapery, with that majestic stateliness of mien and walk ? 

She had not seen him. For the fourth time she came into 
the light, then the darkness took her  a fifth time she appeared, 
a sixth, and then she beheld the earl standing curious, expect- 
ant, watching. 

She slopped short  the moonlight fell full u\xmYvex fac&