y what she must say. She turned and passed
swiftly from the room, leaving the door open, and hurried down the
staircase. Eglington heard now, and wheeled round. He saw the open door,
listened to the rustle of her skirts, knew that she had been there. He
smiled, and said to himself:

"She came to me, as I said she would. I shall master her--the full
surrender, and then--life will be easy then."

Hylda hurried down the staircase to her room, saw Kate Heaver waiting,
beckoned to her, caught up her opera-cloak, and together they passed
down the staircase to the front door. Heaver rang a bell, a footman
appeared, and, at a word, called a cab. A minute later they were ready:

"Snowdon House," Hylda said; and they passed into the night.

CHAPTER XXXVI. "IS IT ALWAYS SO--IN LIFE?"

The Duchess and her brother, an ex-diplomatist, now deaf and patiently
amiable and garrulous, had met on the doorstep of Snowdon House, and
together they insisted on Lord Windlehurst coming in for a talk. The two
men had not met for a long time, and the retired official had been one
of Lord Windlehurst's own best appointments in other days. The Duchess
had the carriage wait in consequence.

The ex-official could hear little, but he had cultivated the habit of
talking constantly and well. There were some voices, however, which he
could hear more distinctly than others, and Lord Windlehurst's was one
of them--clear, well-modulated, and penetrating. Sipping brandy and
water, Lord Windlehurst gave his latest quip. They were all laughing
heartily, when the butler entered the room and said, "Lady Eglington is
here, and wishes to see your Grace."

As the butler left the room, the Duchess turned despairingly to
Windlehurst, who had risen, and was paler than the Duchess. "It has
come," she said, "oh, it has come! I can't face it."

"But it doesn't matter about you facing it," Lord Windlehurst rejoined.
"Go to her and help her, Betty. You know what to do--the one thing." He
took her hand and pressed it.

She dashed the tears from her eyes and drew herself together, while her
brother watched her benevolently.

He had not heard what was said. Betty had always been impulsive, he
thought to himself, and here was some one in trouble--they all came to
her, and kept her poor.

"Go to bed, Dick," the Duchess said to him, and hurried from the room.
She did not hesitate now. Windlehurst had put the matter in the right
way. Her pain was nothing, mere m