"I don't believe we have any," she said, with a queer little note of solemnity. "I think this life, this happiness, is all—and we must take it while we may."
He kissed her again, completely under her spell, and then he said tensely, "Go now, Elise. I will finish here, and I will meet you in fifteen minutes at the Van Clair."
Obediently she secured her wrap from the table, flung it about her and started for the door.
She smiled back at him, whispering, "In fifteen minutes, Rodrigo." And just as she closed the door, "I love you."
He turned, his emotions running riot within him, back to the papers on his desk. For ten minutes he tried in vain to work. Then, with a gesture of helplessness, he started tossing the papers into his brief case. He had risen and taken his hat when the telephone rang.
It was John.
"Did you line up the stuff, Rodrigo?" came Dorning's distant voice. "I took a chance on finding you at the office. I wanted to make sure to-night that everything was all right and you were coming down here, because Hodge and Story's representative just got in and is all set to take the business away from us."
John! It was like the voice of a rescuing angel. Rodrigo with an effort composed himself and replied, "Everything is fine, John, and I'm taking a train in half an hour."
"Great," said the voice on the wire. "And Elise—did you have dinner with her? Have you seen her?"
Rodrigo replied, "No."