The note was from Mrs. Blathenoy: she begged Captain Dartrey, in double
underlinings of her brief words, to mount the stairs. He debated, and he
went.

She was excited, and showed a bosom compressed to explode: she had been
weeping. 'My husband is off. He bids me follow him. What would you have
me do?'

'Go.'

'You don't care what may happen to your friends, the Radnors?'

'Not at the cost of your separation from your husband.'

'You have seen him!'

'Be serious.'

'Oh, you cold creature! You know--you see: I can't conceal. And you tell
me to go. "Go!" Gracious heavens! I've no claim on you; I haven't been
able to do much; I would have--never mind! believe me or not. And now
I'm to go: on the spot, I suppose. You've seen the man I 'm to go to,
too. I would bear it, if it were not away from... out of sight of I'm a
fool of a woman, I know. There's frankness for you! and I could declare
you're saying "impudence" in your heart--or what you have for one. Have
you one?'

'My dear soul, it 's a flint. So just think of your duty.' Dartrey
played the horrid part of executioner with some skill.

Her bosom sprang to descend into abysses.

'And never a greater fool than when I sent for you to see such a face
as I'm showing!' she cried, with lips that twitched and fingers that
plucked at her belt. 'But you might feel my hatred of being tied
to--dragged about over the Continent by that... perhaps you think a
woman is not sensible of vulgarity in her husband! I 'm bothering you? I
don't say I have the slightest claim. You never made love to me, never!
Never so much as pressed my hand or looked. Others have--as much as I
let them. And before I saw you, I had not an idea of another man but
that man. So you advise me to go?'

'There's no other course.'

'No other course. I don't see one. What have I been dreaming of! Usually
a woman feeling...' she struck at her breast, 'has had a soft word in
her ear. "Go!" I don't blame you, Captain Dartrey. At least, you 're not
the man to punish a woman for stripping herself, as I 've done. I call
myself a fool--I'm a lunatic. Trust me with your hand.'

'There you are.'

She grasped the hand, and shut her eyes to make a long age of the
holding on to him. 'Oh, you dear dear fellow!--don't think me unwomanly;
I must tell you now: I am naked and can't disguise. I see you are
ice--feel: and if you were different, I might be. You won't be hurt by
hearing you've made yourself dear t