g at Mrs. Featherstone's on the evening of the first
rehearsal to which Vincent had been favoured with an invitation. The
instant he saw her he felt that some change had taken place in their
relations, that the toleration he had met with since her marriage had
given place to the old suspicion and dislike. It was an early and
informal dinner, the guests being a few of those who were to take part
in the acting later on. Mrs. Featherstone had contrived that Caffyn,
notwithstanding his position as accepted suitor, should not sit next
to Gilda, and on taking his place he found Mabel on his other hand and
his _fiancee_ opposite. As often as he could, he tried to open a
conversation with the former, but she met him coldly and shortly, and
with each attempt he fell back baffled. He might have persevered but
for the consciousness that Gilda's eyes were upon them, for she had
been growing very exacting since the engagement had been formally
declared. But just before the ladies rose he found an opportunity to
say, 'Mabel--Mrs. Ashburn--am I unfortunate enough to have displeased
you lately?'

'Displeased is not the right word,' she said: 'you have done far more
than that.'

'And am I not to be told my offence?' he said, looking at her keenly.

'Not here,' she replied. 'You can ask my husband, if you like.'

'Really?' he said. 'You refer me to him, then? We must try and come to
an understanding together, I suppose.'

'When you have heard him,' she said, 'there is one thing I shall have
to say to you myself.'

'May I come and hear it later?' asked Caffyn, and Mabel gave a little
sign of assent as she left the table.

'I shall send down for you when we're ready,' said Mrs. Featherstone
at the door. 'Will those who have any changes to make mind coming
now--it's so late, and we must get in the way of being punctual.'

One or two who were playing servants or character-parts left the table
immediately; the others remained, and Harold, whose dressing would not
take him long, found himself next to Mark, and rather apart from the
men, at the host's end of the table.

'You're the very man I wanted to have a little talk with!' he began in
an easy conversational manner. 'Your wife seems deucedly annoyed with
me for some reason--she says you can explain. Now, just tell me
quietly without any nonsense--what's it all about, eh?'

Now that Mark had seen the other's conduct in its true light he was
really indignant: Caffyn seemed more un