I can go."

"Take my cloak," said Sophie; "the long black one; it's warmer, and the
air is cool."

Diana, returning from a conference with Delia, asked, "Where's Betty?"

"Gone for a little ride with Anthony."

"But, Sophie, what will people say--at this hour?"

"I told her to wear my black cloak," said Sophie; "it's less
conspicuous, and she was so eager."

Diana stood very still in the darkness. How she coveted the intimacy of
the little car! She had ridden so often with Anthony, and he never
talked so well as when driving; he never revealed so fully the depth and
fineness of his great nature. Would he reveal himself to Bettina? Would
he? And was she shut out from his life forever?

She went up-stairs slowly. "You wait for them, Sophie," she said. "I'm
tired--it's been a hard day----"

"Poor dear." Sophie stood looking up at her from the foot of the stairs.
"I'll come up and rub your head presently."

"It isn't my head," Diana answered over her shoulder.

"Poor dear," said Sophie again, softly, and saw with anxious eyes the
droop of the ascending figure in the white gown.

An hour later Bettina came.

"We rode across the causeway, and down the shore drive. It was beautiful
and Anthony is going to take me again. It's been such a lovely, lovely
day, Mrs. Martens."

All the doubts of the early evening had been swept away, and Bettina was
triumphantly happy.

When they reached the second floor, she stopped outside of Diana's room.

"Good-night, dear lady," she called softly, with her lips against the
door.

"Good-night," came faintly, then after a moment, "dear child."

But Diana did not open the door.

CHAPTER VI

"FOR EVERY MAN THERE IS JUST ONE WOMAN"

When Sophie, having donned a smoke-gray kimono and brushed her shining
hair, went down to Diana, she expected to find her pensive. She found
her, instead, with various little white jars and silver bottles set
before her on her dressing table.

"When a woman takes to cold cream, Sophie," she remarked, as her friend
came in, "it's a deadly sign. It shows that she has found her first
wrinkle."

"Diana, how can you! You know that you are beautiful without such aids."

"When I was in Paris," Diana continued, "I was persuaded into buying
these. I was told that they held the secret of perpetual youth."

"Perpetual youth is from the heart, Diana."

"Then my heart is as old as the ages."

Diana was gazing into the mirror, which reflected