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time it's Philadelphia."
"I thought city people were always gay and frivolous."
"Sing for me," Barney said.
She went to the piano. "Do you believe I dare?"
"Why not? Nobody has sung in this house for years."
"That doesn't make it any easier. What shall I sing?"
"Anything. Sing 'Who?' Sing 'Moanin' Low.' Sing 'Three Little Words.' I don't care."
She played a few chords. He settled in his chair so that he could look at her without
moving. For a long time she played and sang softly, one song after another.
Once he said, "God, you have a beautiful voice." Then he remembered Daisy Storey. A
reason for that voice. His body ached. He half closed his eyes. A vast weltschmertz possessed
him. His thoughts dwelt on remote things of great aspect--skies and winds, the stars at night, the
sea.
Then she giggled. She leaned forward and began to sing,
"Through the dark of night,
I've got to go where you are . . .
Through the fire and smoke,
I've got to go where you are . . .
Chloe!"
She interrupted herself. "Miss Laforge-Leigh's name is Chloe, isn't it?" she sang again:
"Chloe! "
Barney laughed. He went to the piano and kissed her. She took her hands from the keys.
Silence reentered the room. His arms drew them together. Minutes passed ecstatically.
"Ah, there!"
They separated quickly. Muriel stood in the doorway. She held a cocktail glass in her
hand. She smiled gaily and sipped from it. "Excuse the interruption. I came down to see why the
concert had stopped. Why didn't you tell me you could sing, Miss Jamison?"
Janet had blushed crimson. "It isn't anything--"
"Nonsense. You're a wow. You have everything. How come you have such a drag with
the nightingale, Barney? How come you know her at all? Muriel is nonplussed."
"Why--"
Muriel waved her hand. "No alibis needed. I can guess. Go home, big boy. I want to talk
to your girl friend."
Barney and Janet looked at each other. Muriel came into the room. She fingered one of
Barney's lapels. "Seriously and not meaning to be rude. If you beat it, I'll do you a favor. A big
favor."
Barney frowned at her. "You're tight as a tick."
"Any objections?"
"No. But--"
"Let Muriel do it all. She knows best. Onward, Christian soldier. I've got to talk to our
Janet."
"Maybe you'd better," Janet said.
Barney locked his jaws. "All right. I'll go." He returned from the hall with his hat. "I can
be reached at my house."
He slammed the door. What right had Muriel to break in? Why did Janet want him to go?
He stalked along the street. He was embarrassed. He was furious at himself. Never had he lived
through a more unsatisfactory day.
In the house, Muriel shouted from the foot of the stairs. "Irene! Bring down that cocktail
shaker."
The maid appeared with it. "Where's Chloe?"
"Still in her room, Miss Leigh."
"Well, don't let her sneak downstairs." She turned to Janet. "Want a drink? Well, sit
down, anyway. I'm sorry I was rude to your boy friend. How'd you meet him?"
"In Mayville."
"I suspected something like that. How long ago?"
"Ten days. No. Eight."
"Exactly. He went out where you lived and accidentally met you. Know why?"
"No."
Muriel drained her glass and filled it again. "I'll tell you. Because you're me. And I, in a
manner of speaking, am you."
"I don't quite understand."
"Of course not. We're going for a boat ride, you and I. And I am going to be the glass in
the bottom. Through me you can see everything. Why'd Chloe bring you here? I figured that out
a few minutes ago. Listen. You're Jonathan Leigh's daughter."
"I'm what?"
"Leigh's daughter. I'm only an impostor. A fake. When you and I were about four months
old or something like that, Chloe switched us. Brilliant, eh? Your mother, who was Leigh's wife,
took you abroad when you were a baby. Chloe went with you. Your mother--by the way, you
look just like her--was washed overboard. Chloe hated your mother. When the ship landed in
France, she found me, I happened to be a distant relative--of hers. She brought me back and said
I was you and she had you adopted in Cleveland."
"Buffalo."
"So it was. Buffalo."
Janet said nothing. She trembled a little.
Muriel drank again. "Jonathan Leigh died. He must have guessed there was something
fishy about me. He must have dropped a hint in his will, because the Averys wouldn't read it.
Instead, they very obviously hunted you out. But they never told you anything, did they?"
"No," Janet whispered. "He never said anything."
"They probably wanted to see if you were worth fighting for."
"Fighting for?"
"Sure. Leigh's money is yours. Only they have to prove it."
"Oh."
"Well--where was I? Oh, yes. Why did Chloe bring you here? That stumped me for a
while. It was the inspiration in the gin that brought light. Chloe must have told Valak. They're
thick as thieves anyway and she's been getting pretty moldy because Avery wouldn't probate my
ex-father's will. Valak is out for the Leigh fortune. Wants to get it for Sabria--which my marriage
to--my marriage would accomplish automatically. When she told Valak the truth he probably
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