able mocked her with the counterfeit
presentment of herself, pallid and distraught in all the petty
prettiness of her borrowed finery.

In a sudden seizure of passion she fairly tore the frock from her
body, wrecking it beyond repair.

Then, calmed somewhat by reaction from this transport, she reflected
that presently they would be coming to drag her off to jail, and she
must be dressed and ready.

Turning to her wardrobe, she selected its soberest garments--the blue
serge tailleur advised by Mrs. Standish--and donned them.

This done, she packed a hand-bag with a few necessities, sat down, and
waited.

The minutes of that vigil dragged like hours.

She began to realise that it was growing very late. The guests of the
fete had all departed. The music had long since been silenced. Looking
from her window, she saw the terrace and gardens cold and empty in the
moonlight.

And at this sight temptation to folly assailed her and the counsels of
despair prevailed.

There was none to prevent the attempt, and the drop from window-sill
to turf was not more than twelve feet. She risked, it was true, a
sprained ankle, but she ran a chance of escaping. And even if
she had to limp down to the beach, there were boats to be found
there--rowboats drawn up on the sand--and there was the bare
possibility that she might be able to row across the strait to the
mainland before her flight was discovered.

And even if overtaken, she could be no worse off than she was.
Everyone believed her guilty; there was no way for her to prove her
innocence.

She might better chance the adventure.

On frantic impulse, without giving herself time to weigh the dangers,
Sally switched off her light, sat down on the window-sill, swung her
legs over, and let herself down until she hung by both hands from the
sill.

And then she repented. She was of a sudden terribly afraid.
Remembering too late the high heels of her slippers, she discounted
the certainty of a turned ankle--which would hurt frightfully even if
it failed to incapacitate her totally. For the life of her she could
not release her grasp, though all ready the drag of her weight was
beginning to cause most perceptible aches in the muscles of her arms.

She panted with fright--and caught her breath on a sob to hear herself
called softly from below.

"Miss Manwaring! For the love of Mike--!"

Trego!

She looked down and confirmed recognition of his voice with the
sight of his upt