erview with the Barber's ghost, her place was empty.

No one remarked on her absence. The Warden came in as if nothing had
happened on the previous night. He did not even ask the ladies how they
had slept, or if they had slept. He appeared to have forgotten all about
last night, and he seated himself at the table and began opening his
letters.

Mrs. Dashwood gave him one furtive glance when he came in and responded
to his salutation. Then she also sat in silence and looked over her
letters. She was making a great effort not to mind what happened to her,
not to feel that outside these few rooms in a corner of an ancient
college, all the world stretched like a wilderness. And this effort made
her face a little wan in the morning light.

Lady Dashwood poured out the coffee with a hand that was not quite as
steady as usual, but she, too, made no reference to the events of last
night. Nobody, of course, had slept but Gwendolen, and Gwendolen had
awakened from her sleep fresh and rosy.

It was only after several minutes had passed that Lady Dashwood remarked
across the table to the Warden--

"I have kept Gwendolen in bed for breakfast, not because she is ill, she
is perfectly well, but because I want her to be alone, and to understand
that she has completely got over her little hysterical fit and is
sensible again."

The Warden looked up and then down again at his letters and said, "Yes!"

Lady Dashwood went on with her breakfast. She evidently did not expect
any discussion. She had merely wished to make some reference to the
occurrence of last night in such a way as not to reopen the subject, but
to close the subject--for ever.

"Is it your club morning?" asked the Warden, as he looked over his
letters.

"Yes," said Lady Dashwood.

"I'll come and help you to cut out," said May. "I'm an old hand."

"Why should you come?" said Lady Dashwood. "This is your holiday, and
it's short enough."

She thought that the Warden noted the words, "short enough."

"I shall come," said May, and glancing at her aunt as she spoke, she now
fancied her grown a little thinner in the face since last night only
that it was impossible. The lines in the face were accentuated by want
of sleep, it was that that made her face look thinner.

"I shall take Gwen," said Lady Dashwood. "She can hand us scissors and
pins, and can pick up the bits." She spoke quite boldly and quietly of
Gwendolen, and met May's eye without a flicker. "Our plan,