“Suzee,” I said under my breath.

At the sound of my voice there was a delighted cry, and the next moment a little form in scarlet drapery threw itself at my feet.

“Treevor, Treevor,” came in Suzee’s voice; and I bent over the little scarlet bundle, lifted her up, and pressed my lips on her hair.  It smelt of roses, just as it had done in the tea-shop at Sitka, and carried me back there on the wings of its fragrance, as scents alone can do.

She clung to me in a wild fervour of emotion.  I felt her little hands dutch me desperately.  She kissed my arm and wrist passionately, seeming not to dare to lift her face to mine.  This wild abandonment, this frenzy of hungered, starving love, what a sharp contrast to the cool, slow surrender of Viola, if surrender it could be called, that lending of the beautiful body, with total reserve of the spirit!  Even in that moment of this wild lavishing of love from another, as the little breast leapt wildly against my own, a fierce pulse of jealous longing went through me as I thought of that unconquered something that she had never yielded to me.

Suzee hardly seemed to expect my caresses in return, she only seemed to wish to pour her own upon me in the wildest, most lavish excess.  At last, when she grew a little calmer, I held her at arm’s length from me and looked at her.

“Now, Suzee, I want you to tell me what you are doing in this awful place.  How did you get here, to begin with?”

“Oh, Mister Treevor, I have had such trouble, such awful trouble, you will never believe; but when I ran—­when I came to Mrs. Hackett she was very good to me, only she wanted to sell me for two hundred and fifty dollars to Chinaman.  I said, ’No, I belong to rich Englishman.  He send you more if you wait.  He send you three hundred!’ And I wrote you, you remember?”

“Yes,” I answered.  “Did you get the money all right that I cabled to you?”

“Oh yes, Treevor, thank you; and Nanine had it and so she was willing to keep me.”

“But what have you been doing while you have been here?” I said glancing round.  The whole place, with its hidden entrance, secret passages, and barred doors seemed to speak of the lowest and worst forms of vice.

“Oh, Treevor, I have been very good, so good.  I would not have any visitors at all.  I was so afraid you would find out and not have me if you knew, and, besides, I loved you too much.” (But this was evidently an after-thought, and I noted it as such.  Her true reason was given first.) “And I knew Nanine would take all my money, whatever I got.  She is good to the girls here, but she takes all their money, all, they never have any.  So I said to myself, ’What is the use?  Besides, he will come soon and take you away.’  And to Nanine I said—­’Englishman will be so angry with you and with me, perhaps he will kill you or tell the police if you do not keep me for him.’  And when the money came Nanine was quite pleased and said perhaps you would pay more when you came, so she did not worry me with Chinamen or any one, and I’ve had this room all to myself since I’ve been here.  And I was very much afraid of you, Treevor, if I did anything at all, so I really, really have not.”