for
tea, I've had such a tiring day, and last night----"

"How was last night? You haven't had time to tell me."

She was by the door, but she turned and faced him. "Oh! I was so silly.
The weather upset me and I went and fainted at Lady Carloes'."

"Fainted!" His voice was instantly sharp with anxiety.

"Yes--in the middle of dinner. _Such_ a scene and Uncle Richard thought
I let down the family dreadfully."

"I hope you went straight to bed--Ah! that was why you saw Christopher
this morning!"

"Yes, that was why! No, I didn't come straight back last night--I went
round to Lizzie's--I was frightened and felt that I couldn't come back
all alone."

They were both of them instantly aware that someone else lived at 24
Saxton Square beside Miss Rand. There was a sharp little pause, during
which they both of them heard their hearts say: "Oh! I hope you aren't
going to let _that_ little thing matter!"

Then Roddy said--"Well, dear. I'm jolly glad you _did_ go to Lizzie. I
hate your fainting like that. What did Christopher say this morning?"

"Oh! nothing--I'll tell you later."

She was gone.

When she returned Peters was bringing in the tea and they could exchange
no word. The spring was beginning, already the evenings were longer and
a pale glow, orange-coloured, lingered in the sky and lit the green of
the park with dim radiance. Within the room the fire crackled, the
silver shone, the lustre bowl was glowing--

Rachel went across to the table, then staring out at the evening light
said, "Roddy, who _are_ your visitors?"

Peters answered her question by opening the door and announcing--

"Mr. Breton, my lady."

III

She took it with a composure that was simply panic frozen into
stillness. She saw him come, straight from the square immobility of
Peters, out to meet her, noticed that he looked "most horribly ill" and
that his eyes cowered, as it were, behind their lashes, as though they
feared a blow--she saw him catch the picture of her, hold her for an
instant whilst his cheeks flooded with colour, then all expression left
him; he walked towards her as though the real Francis Breton, after that
first glance had turned and left the room, and only the lifeless husk of
him remained.

For herself, after the word from Peters, her mind had flown to Roddy. He
knew everything--there could no longer be doubt of that--but oh! how she
turned furiously now upon the indecision that had allowed to surrender
her