She suddenly raised his hand and kissed it.
"Cornelia!"
But she was gone, and in a moment was lost in the hurrying crowds, on which a sullen rain was beginning to fall.
Before midnight Neckart was ploughing his way back. His brain was quite clear—no threats of paralysis or sudden age. He lay awake building honest air-castles—new plans for the paper, dreams of happiness for Jane as fresh and sweet as a boy's of his first love. But through them all the kiss on his hand burned like fire. He rubbed it again and again angrily.
He wanted no guilty damned spot about him when he came to Jane.
CHAPTER XXII.
When the door of the hut opened Bruno growled furiously. Mr. Van Ness appeared on the threshold, smiling, benign, a goodly sight, from his blond head and the yellow topaz on his snowy shirt-front to the polished boots.
"Down, Bruno, down!" said Jane.
The old hunter observed that though she stood erect she could not bring her voice above a whisper. She looked at Van Ness like a kid that the dogs were going to tear to death. Glenn came up hastily between her and the stranger. He had the dog's sudden antipathy to him and to his smile.
"What is your business?"