n a house in which ices could be prepared?
Lavender's suggestion had had no cunning intention in it, but here was
an obvious piece of information. She was in no humble lodging-house,
then. She was either staying with some friends--and she had no friends
but Lavender's friends--or she was staying at a hotel. He remembered
that she had once dined at the Langham, Mrs. Kavanagh having persuaded
her to go to meet some American visitors. Might she have gone thither?

Lavender was somewhat silent during the rest of that meal, for he was
thinking of other things besides the mere question as to where Sheila
might be staying. He was trying to imagine what she might have felt
before she was driven to this step. He was trying to recall all manner
of incidents of their daily life that he now saw might have appeared to
her in a very different light from that in which he saw them. He was
wondering, too, how all this could be altered, and a new life begun for
them both, if that were still possible.

They had gone up stairs into the smoking-room when a card was brought to
Lavender.

"Young Mosenberg is below," he said to Ingram. "He will be a livelier
companion for you than I could be. Waiter, ask this gentleman to come
up."

The handsome Jew-boy came eagerly into the room, with much excitement
visible on his face.

"Oh, do you know," he said to Lavender, "I have found out where Mrs.
Lavender is--yes? She is at your aunt's house. I saw her this afternoon
for one moment--" He stopped, for he saw by the vexation on Ingram's
face that he had done something wrong. "Is it a mistake?" he said. "Is
it a secret?"

"It is not likely to be a secret if you have got hold of it," said
Ingram sharply.

"I am very sorry," said the boy. "I thought you were all anxious to
know--"

"It does not matter in the least," said Lavender quietly to both of
them. "I shall not seek to disturb her. I am about to leave London."

"Where are you going?" said the boy.

"I don't know yet."

That, at least, had been part of the result of his meditations; and
Ingram, looking at him, wondered whether he meant to go away without
trying to say one word to Sheila.

"Look here, Lavender," he said, "you must not fancy we were trying to
play any useless and impertinent trick. To-morrow or next day Sheila
will leave your aunt's house, and then I should have told you that she
had been there, and how the old lady received her. It was Sheila's own
wish that the lodg