That it was past midnight, and Mary Standish had deliberately come to his room, entering it and closing the door without a word or a nod of invitation from him, seemed incredible to Alan.

After his first explosion of astonishment he stood mute, while the girl looked at him steadily and her breath came a little quickly.

But she was not excited.
Even in his amazement he could see that.

What he had thought was fright had gone out of her eyes.

But he had never seen her so white, and never had she appeared quite so slim and childish-looking as while she stood there in these astounding moments with her back against the door.
The pallor of her face accentuated the rich darkness of her hair.