ee months from the day when
she had given the MS. into Darrell's hands. She had been spared all the
trouble of correcting proofs, which had been done for her by the
publisher's reader, on the plea of her illness. She had received and
destroyed various letters from him--almost without reading them--during
a short absence of William's in the north.

Suddenly a start of terror ran through her. "No, no!" she said,
wrestling with herself--"he'll scold me, perhaps--at first; of course I
know he'll do that. And then, I'll make him laugh! He can't--he can't
help laughing. I <i>know</i> it'll amuse him. He'll see how I meant it, too.
And nobody need ever find out."

She heard his step outside, hastily locked her despatch-box, threw a
shawl over it, and lay back languidly on her pillows, awaiting him.

XVIII

The following morning, early, a note was brought to Kitty from Madame
d'Estrees:

"Darling Kitty,--Will you join us to-night in an expedition? You
know that Princess Margherita is staying on the Grand Canal?--in
one of the Mocenigo palaces. There is to be a serenata in her honor
to-night--not one of those vulgar affairs which the hotels get up,
but really good music and fine voices--money to be given to some
hospital or other. Do come with us. I suppose you have your own
gondola, as we have. The gondolas who wish to follow meet at the
Piazzetta, weather permitting, eight o'clock. I know, of course,
that you are not going out. But this is <i>only</i> music!--and for a
charity. One just sits in one's gondola, and follows the music up
the canal. Send word by bearer. Your fond mother,

"Marguerite d'Estrees."

Kitty tossed the note over to Ashe. "Aren't you dining out somewhere
to-night?"

Her voice was listless. And as Ashe lifted his head from the cabinet
papers which had just reached him by special messenger, his attention
was disagreeably recalled from high matters of state to the very evident
delicacy of his wife. He replied that he had promised to dine with
Prince S---- at Danieli's, in order to talk Italian politics. "But I can
throw it over in a moment, if you want me. I came to Venice for <i>you</i>,
darling," he said, as he rose and joined her on the balcony which
commanded a fine stretch of the canal.

"No, no! Go and dine with your prince. I'll go with maman--Margaret and
I. At least, Margaret must, of course, please herself!"

She shrug