"
She pushed past the Chinese girl, hardly knowing what she did. She felt
faint and sick, as if she must have fresh air. As her hand fumbled for the
latch, the door was pushed violently open, and Hilliard came in, with
Schermerhorn at his back.
"Thank Heaven!" Nick stammered. He was very pale.
"You gave us a pretty bad scare, Miss," added the man, who had been
informed that Nick was "not her husband."
"Lucky I thought of this house, and this old chap."
"But--there was no danger," Angela defended herself. "Nothing could have
happened."
"Most anything can happen--in Chinatown," mumbled Schermerhorn. "Did you
ever read a story by Norris called _The Third Circle?_"
"Not yet," said Angela. "I bought the book, but----"
"Well, read that story when you get home to-night, Miss, and maybe you'll
know what your young gentleman here went through."
Her "young gentleman!" But Angela did not smile. A thing would have had to
be very funny to strike her as laughable just then.
"No, don't read it to-night," said Nick. "Wait till another time."
"Will you forgive me?" she asked, looking at him. "I'm sorry. I didn't
suppose you'd mind much."
"I was in--Hades for a few minutes," said Nick, hastily qualifying the
remark he had been about to make.
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