dy opined; and Lady
Agnes said simply: "I daresay they're cheaper." What was in her mind in
fact was: "I daresay Peter thinks them becoming." It will be seen she
had plenty of inward occupation, the sum of which was not lessened by
her learning when she reached the top of the Rue de la Paix that Mrs.
Dallow had gone out half an hour before and had left no message. She was
more disconcerted by this incident than she could have explained or than
she thought was right, as she had taken for granted Julia would be in a
manner waiting for them. How could she be sure Nick wasn't coming? When
people were in Paris a few days they didn't mope in the house, but she
might have waited a little longer or have left an explanation. Was she
then not so much in earnest about Nick's standing? Didn't she recognise
the importance of being there to see him about it? Lady Agnes wondered
if her behaviour were a sign of her being already tired of the way this
young gentleman treated her. Perhaps she had gone out because an
instinct told her that the great propriety of their meeting early would
make no difference with him--told her he wouldn't after all come. His
mother's heart sank as she glanced at this possibility that their
precious friend was already tired, she having on her side an intuition
that there were still harder things in store. She had disliked having to
tell Mrs. Dallow that Nick wouldn't see her till the evening, but now
she disliked still more her not being there to hear it. She even
resented a little her kinswoman's not having reasoned that she and the
girls would come in any event, and not thought them worth staying in
for. It came up indeed that she would perhaps have gone to their hotel,
which was a good way up the Rue de Rivoli, near the Palais Royal--on
which the cabman was directed to drive to that establishment.

As he jogged along she took in some degree the measure of what that
might mean, Julia's seeking a little to avoid them. Was she growing to
dislike them? Did she think they kept too sharp an eye on her, so that
the idea of their standing in a still closer relation wouldn't be
enticing? Her conduct up to this time had not worn such an appearance,
unless perhaps a little, just a very little, in the matter of her ways
with poor Grace. Lady Agnes knew she wasn't particularly fond of poor
Grace, and could even sufficiently guess the reason--the manner in which
Grace betrayed most how they wanted to make sure of her. S