eyes discovered them more than once:--this at least Sorell
knew, and could not help knowing. He saw that she danced twice with
Radowitz, and that Falloden stood meanwhile in the doorway of the hall,
twisting his black moustache, and chaffing Meyrick, yet all the time
with an eye on the ballroom. And during one long disappearance, he
found himself guessing that Falloden had taken her to the library for
greater seclusion. Only a very few people seemed to know that the fine
old room was open.

"Where is Connie?" said poor Mrs. Hooper fretfully--when three o'clock
had long struck. "I can't keep awake!"

* * * * *

And now a midsummer sun was rising over Oxford. The last carriage had
rumbled through the streets; the last merry group of black-coated men,
and girls in thin shoes and opera-cloaks had vanished. The summer dawn
held the whole beautiful and silenced city in its peace.

Constance, in her dressing-gown, sat at the open window, looking out
over the dewy garden, and vaguely conscious of its scents as one final
touch of sweetness in a whole of pleasure which was still sending its
thrill through all her pulses.

At last, she found pen and paper on her writing-table, and wrote an
instruction for Annette upon it.

* * * * *

"Please send early for the horses. They should be here at a quarter to
nine. Call me at eight. Tell Aunt Ellen that I have gone for a ride, and
shall be back by eleven. It was quite a nice ball."

* * * * *

Then, with a silent laugh at the last words, she took the sheet of
paper, stole noiselessly out of her room, and up the stairs to Annette's
room, where she pushed the message under the door. Annette had not been
well the day before, and Connie had peremptorily forbidden her to
sit up.

CHAPTER IX

The day was still young in Lathom Woods. A wood-cutter engaged in
cutting coppice on the wood's eastern skirts, hearing deep muffled
sounds from "Tom" clock-tower, borne to him from Oxford on the light
easterly breeze, stopped to count the strokes.

Ten o'clock.

He straightened himself, wiped the sweat from his brow, and was
immediately aware of certain other sounds approaching from the wood
itself. Horses--at a walk. No doubt the same gentleman and lady who had
passed him an hour earlier, going in a contrary direction.

He watched them as they passed him again, repeating his reflection tha