o see if Mrs. Rose has returned."

"Oh." For a moment she hesitated, opened her mouth as though about to
speak and then yawned instead. "Very well. Don't be long. My head aches
and I want to get to sleep."

"I will be as quick as possible," he said. "I am sorry your head aches.
Try to get to sleep before I return."

He turned away, leaving her staring after him; and her grey eyes were
full of a cruel maliciousness. Eva guessed pretty well how the land lay.
Although she had not expected Toni to give in to the young dentist's
entreaties so soon, she never doubted that the girl had gone away with
him; and she laughed as she remembered how quietly the whole affair had
been conducted.

Except on the occasion of Dowson's loan of magazines, Eva did not
believe his name had ever been mentioned between the Roses; and
certainly it would never enter Owen's head that his wife would go off,
leave him, and leave all the glories of Greenriver, to share the lot of
the inferior and unattractive Mr. Dowson.

Eva had not the slightest feeling of compassion for the unhappy young
wife driven to this step, partly by her own childish folly, but partly,
also, by the evil counsel of the woman she called her friend. Eva know
very well, had known all along, that there could be no happiness for
Toni in such a step; and she fully believed that the girl would come to
hate and fear the life in front of her. But Eva never for one moment
experienced a thrill of pity for the misguided Toni. Rather the thought
of the certain misery which faced her filled Eva's perverted mind with a
wretched triumph; and her only strong emotion at this juncture was a
passionate hope that Owen would not learn the truth in time to save his
wife from the worst consequence of her ill-considered action.

* * * * *

Meanwhile all was confusion at Greenriver. At first Owen had been merely
a little perplexed, not uneasy, at Toni's absence from the dinner-table;
but when it became apparent that she was nowhere in the house he grew
alarmed.

Calling Andrews and Fletcher to him, he bade them get lanterns and
institute a thorough search in the grounds; and the three of them
searched thoroughly--as thoroughly, at least, as was possible in the
clammy fog.

Up and down they went, lanterns swinging, in and out of trees and
shrubs; and into the various summer-houses and garden sheds; but there
was no sign of Toni.

Back into the house--where onc