I thought the war had ended, but everywhere men are still in battle--everywhere men are dying of this fierce hatred that seems to flame up anew across the world; everywhere men fight and slay to gain advantage. None yields, none renounces, none gives. It is as though love were dead on earth."

"Love is being reborn," said Ilse cheerfully. "Birth means pain, always----"

Without warning, a hot flush flooded her face; she averted it as the tea-tray was brought and set on a table before Palla. When her face cooled, she leaned back in her chair, cup in hand, a sort of confused sweetness in her blue eyes.

Palla's heart was beating heavily as she leaned on the table, her cup untasted, her idle fingers crumbing the morsel of biscuit between them.

After a moment she said: "So you have concluded that you care for John Estridge?"

"Yes, I care," said Ilse absently, the same odd, sweet smile curving her cheeks.

"That is--wonderful," said Palla, not looking at her.

Ilse remained silent, her blue gaze aloof.

A maid came and turned up the lamps, and went away again.

Palla said in a low voice: "Are you--afraid?"

"No."

They both remained silent until she rose to go. Palla, walking with her to the head of the stairs, holding one of her hands imprisoned, said with an effort: "I am frightened, dear.... I can't help it....

You will be certain, first, won't you?----"

"It is as certain as death," said Ilse in a low, still voice.

Palla shivered; she pa.s.sed one arm around her; and they stood so for a while. Then Ilse's arm tightened, and the old gaiety glinted in her sea-blue eyes:

"Is your house in order too, Palla?" she asked. "Turn around, little enigma! There; I can look into those brown eyes now. And I see nothing in them to answer me my question."

"Do you mean Jim?"

"I do."

"I haven't seen him."

"For how long?"

"Weeks. I don't know how long it has been----"

"Have you quarrelled?"

"Yes. We seem to. This is quite the most serious one yet."

"You are not in love with him."

"Oh, Ilse, I don't know. He simply can't understand me. I feel so bruised and tired after a controversy with him. He seems to be so merciless to my opinions--so violent----"

"You poor child.... After all, Palla, freedom also means the liberty to change one's mind.... If you should care to change yours----"

"I can't change my inmost convictions."

"Those--no."

"I have not changed them. I almost wish I could. But I've got to be honest.... And he can't understand me."

Ilse smiled and kissed her: "That is scarcely to be wondered at, as you don't seem to know your own mind. Perhaps when you do he, also, may understand you. Good-bye! I must run----"

Palla watched her to the foot of the stairs; the door closed; the engine of a taxi began to hum.

Her telephone was ringing when she returned to the living room, and the quick leap of her heart averted her of the hope revived.

But it was a strange voice on the wire,--a man's voice, clear, sinister, tainted with a German accent:

"Iss this Miss Dumont? Yess? Then this I haff to say to you: You shall find yourself in serious trouble if you do not move your foolish club of vimmen out of the vicinity of which you know. We giff you one more chance. So shall you take it or you shall take some consequences!

_Goot-night!_"

The instrument clicked in her ear as the unknown threatener hung up, leaving her seated there, astonished, hurt, bewildered.

The man who "hung up on her" stepped out of a saloon on Eighth Avenue and joined two other men on the corner.

The man was Karl Kastner; the other two were Sondheim and Bromberg.

"Get her?" growled the latter, as all three started east.

"Yess. And now we shall see what we shall see. We start the finish now already. All foolishness shall be ended. Now we fix Puma."

They continued on across the street, clumping along with their overcoat collars turned up, for it had turned bitter cold and the wind was rising.

"You don't think it's a plant?" inquired Sondheim, for the third time.

Bromberg blew his red nose on a dirty red handkerchief.

"We'll plant Puma if he tries any of that," he said thickly.

Kastner added that he feared investigation more than they did because he had more at stake.

"Dot guy he iss rich like a millionaire," he added. "Ve make him pay some dammach, too."

"How's he going to fire that bunch of women if they got a lease?"

demanded Bromberg.

"Who the h.e.l.l cares how he does it?" grunted Sondheim.

"Sure," added Kastner; "let him dig up. You buy anybody if you haff sufficient coin. Effery time! Yess. Also! Let him dig down into his pants once. So shall he pay them, these vimmen, to go avay und shut up mit their mischief what they make for us already!"

Sondheim was still muttering about "plants" in the depths of his soiled overcoat-collar, when they arrived at the hall and presented themselves at the door of Puma's outer office.