ook.

"There is a beautiful fire in your room, Mr. Herrick," she observed
cheerfully before she left him. "I shall tell Amias that you are tired,
and that he must not expect you in the studio to-night."

Malcolm smiled gratefully. "What a good little soul you are,
Verity--you always say just the right thing! Tell Goliath, with my
love, that I am busy, so there must be no pipe and no palaver to-night.
I shall have to be up betimes too;" and then he took counsel with
Verity as to the hour when his breakfast should be served.

It was quite true that he had business waiting to be done;
nevertheless, as he lay back in his easy-chair by the fire, he could
not bring himself to take up his pen. At this very hour on the previous
evening he had been with Elizabeth; the dear face--dearer, alas! than
ever--had been before him; the changing, characteristic voice, so
musical yet so uneven, had been in his ears! He recalled her look as
she stood so wrapt in thought in the alcove before she perceived his
presence. Its deep sadness had surprised him. What could be troubling
her? In a few months she would marry the man she loved. Truly God's
best gifts were hers--health, wealth, and love--and yet the shadowed
brow and the eyes misty with unshed tears seemed to speak of some
hidden sorrow. What could it be? That was his last waking thought that
night, and the question still troubled him when he walked the next
morning in the direction of Kensington Gardens to keep his self-made
tryst with Leah Jacobi.

He knew the gate that was nearest to Gresham Gardens; but it was long
before the hour that Hugh Rossiter had mentioned when he reached it,
and began pacing up and down like a sentinel on duty.

Fortunately the morning was fine, and a faint gleam of sunshine tried
to penetrate the thin haze brooding over the Gardens. Although it was
the last day of October, the air was mild; but, contrary to his usual
custom, Malcolm failed to notice the effect of the clinging mist round
the leafless trees, the nebulous distances, and the faint golden
streaks of sunshine; his mind was full of the approaching interview and
the difficult work that lay before him.

It was so early that the place seemed quite deserted; but presently he
heard dogs barking, and the next moment two little fox-terriers,
curiously alike, rushed past him intent on their play. He recognised
them at once from Cedric's description--they were Tim and Tartar,
belonging to Saul Jacob