and had opened one or
two of the rooms, and prepared a fire in her bedroom. Anna shut herself
in, refusing the woman's ministrations. She felt cold and faint, and
after she had taken off her hat and cloak she knelt down by the fire and
stretched her hands to it.

In one respect, at least, it was clear to her that she would do well
to follow Sophy Viner's counsel. It had been an act of folly to follow
Owen, and her first business was to get back to Givre before him. But
the only train leaving that evening was a slow one, which did not reach
Francheuil till midnight, and she knew that her taking it would excite
Madame de Chantelle's wonder and lead to interminable talk. She had come
up to Paris on the pretext of finding a new governess for Effie, and the
natural thing was to defer her return till the next morning. She knew
Owen well enough to be sure that he would make another attempt to see
Miss Viner, and failing that, would write again and await her answer:
so that there was no likelihood of his reaching Givre till the following
evening.

Her sense of relief at not having to start out at once showed her for
the first time how tired she was. The bonne had suggested a cup of tea,
but the dread of having any one about her had made Anna refuse, and she
had eaten nothing since morning but a sandwich bought at a buffet. She
was too tired to get up, but stretching out her arm she drew toward her
the arm-chair which stood beside the hearth and rested her head against
its cushions. Gradually the warmth of the fire stole into her veins and
her heaviness of soul was replaced by a dreamy buoyancy. She seemed to
be seated on the hearth in her sitting-room at Givre, and Darrow was
beside her, in the chair against which she leaned. He put his arms about
her shoulders and drawing her head back looked into her eyes. "Of all
the ways you do your hair, that's the way I like best," he said...

A log dropped, and she sat up with a start. There was a warmth in her
heart, and she was smiling. Then she looked about her, and saw where she
was, and the glory fell. She hid her face and sobbed.

Presently she perceived that it was growing dark, and getting up
stiffly she began to undo the things in her bag and spread them on the
dressing-table. She shrank from lighting the lights, and groped her way
about, trying to find what she needed. She seemed immeasurably far
off from every one, and most of all from herself. It was as if her
consciousn