ere were tears in her eyes, yet had
no power to check them. He was still addressing Mrs. Westlake; herself
he deemed incapable of appreciating what he said. Perhaps he even--the
thought made clanging in her ears, like a rude bell--perhaps he even
regarded her as a social inferior since her marriage. It was almost
hysteria, to such a pitch of unreason was she wrought. Her second self
looked on, anguished, helpless. The voices in the room grew distant and
confused.

Then the door was opened and the servant announced--

'Mr. Mutimer.'

It saved her. She saw her husband enter, and an ice-cold breath made
frigid her throbbing veins. She fixed her eyes upon him, and could not
remove them; they followed him from the door to where Stella stood to
receive him. She saw that he almost paused on recognising Eldon, that
his brows contracted, that involuntarily he looked at _her_.

'You know Mr. Eldon,' Stella said, perhaps in not quite her ordinary
voice, for the meeting could in no case be a very happy one.

'Oh yes,' replied Mutimer, scarcely looking at Hubert, and making an
idle effort at a bow.

Hubert did not reseat himself. He took leave of Stella cordially; to
Adela he inclined himself at respectful distance.

Mrs. Westlake supplied conversation. Adela, leaving her former chair,
took a seat by her friend's side, but could not as yet trust her voice.
Presently her husband addressed her; it was for the first time; he had
not even given his hand.

'Alice is very anxious that you should dine with her before you go home.
Do you think Mrs. Westlake could spare you this evening?'

And, on Stella's looking an inquiry, he added:

'My sister, Mrs. Rodman. I don't think you know her?'

Adela had no choice but to procure her hostess's assent to this
arrangement.

'I'll call for you at seven o'clock,' Mutimer said.

Adela knew that he was commanding himself; his tone was not quite
discourteous, but he had none of the genial satisfaction which he
ordinarily showed in the company of refined people. She attributed his
displeasure to her neglect of Alice. But it did not affect her as it had
been wont to; she was disposed to resent it.

The time between his departure and seven o'clock she spent by herself,
unoccupied, sitting as if tired. She put off the necessary changing of
garments till there was scarcely time for it. When at length she was
summoned she went down with flushed face.

'I feel as if I were going to have a fe