He still stroked his moustache. His handsome face was half amused, half
troubled. At last he said:

'Very well; to-night.'

Shortly after, Mutimer came into the room.

'Adela isn't up to the mark,' he said to Alice. 'She'd better have
dinner by herself, I think; but she'll join us afterwards.'

Brother and sister exchanged looks.

'Oh, it's only a headache or something of the kind,' he continued.
'It'll be all right soon.'

And he began to talk with Rodman cheerfully, so that Alice felt it must
really be all right. She drew aside and looked into a novel.

Adela did appear after dinner, very pale and silent, but with a smile
on her face. There had been no further conversation between her and her
husband. She talked a little with 'Arry, in her usual gentle way, then
asked to be allowed to say goodnight. 'Arry at the same time took his
leave, having been privately bidden to do so by his sister. He was glad
enough to get away; in the drawing-room his limbs soon began to ache,
from inability to sit at his ease.

Then Alice withdrew, and the men were left alone.

Adela did not go to bed. She suffered from the closeness of the evening
and sat by her open windows, trying to read a chapter in the New
Testament. About eleven o'clock she had a great desire to walk upon the
garden grass for a few minutes before undressing; perhaps it might help
her to the sleep she so longed for yet feared she would not obtain.
The desire became so strong that she yielded to it, passed quietly
downstairs, and out into the still night. She directed her steps to her
favourite remote corner. There was but little moonlight, and scarcely a
star was visible. When she neared the laburnums behind which she often
sat or walked, her ear caught the sound of voices. They came nearer, on
the other side of the trees. The first word which she heard distinctly
bound her to the spot and forced her to listen.

'No, I shan't put it off.' It was Alice speaking. 'I know what comes of
that kind of thing. I am old enough to be my own mistress.'

'You are not twenty-one,' replied Richard in an annoyed voice. 'I shall
do everything I can to put it off till you are of age. Rodman is a good
enough fellow in his place; but it isn't hard to see why he's talked you
over in this way.'

'He hasn't talked me over!' cried Alice, passionately. 'I needn't have
listened if I hadn't liked.'

'You're a foolish girl, and you want someone to look after you. If
you'll only