and quickly slept, she lay awake until the morning.

She came down to breakfast, looking tired and fagged. There were black
lines under her eyes, and when Quentyns asked her what was the matter,
she not only owned to a headache, but burst into tears.

When a man is thoroughly cross, nothing irritates him more than tears on
the part of his wife, and Quentyns now so far forgot himself as to rise
hastily from the breakfast table and leave the room, slamming the door
behind him. He put in his head a moment later to nod to his wife and say
good-by.

"If I'm late, don't wait dinner for me," he said, and then he left the
house. Hilda had plenty of time to wipe her tears away in the deserted
breakfast room. The pain at her heart was almost greater than she could
bear. Her gentle nature was stirred by what she considered gross
injustice on the part of her husband.

"He does not care for me any more," she muttered. "I thought him great
and brave and good. I know he is clever; I suppose he is great, and
perhaps even good; but I am too small and too little for him--I fail to
understand him, and he does not love me any more. Oh, if only little
Judy had stayed with me I should not feel as broken-hearted as I do at
present. if only little Judy had stayed with me, I should loneliness of
my life?"

At this moment Hilda's dismal meditations were interrupted by the sound
of carriage wheels, which not only came rattling down the little street,
but stopped at the hall door. She started up in a fright, pushed back
her disordered hair from her flushed face, and the next moment found
herself in the voluminous embrace of Jasper's aunt, Lady Malvern.

"My dear," exclaimed that good lady, "I must apologize for not looking
you up sooner, but I have been particularly busy; for Cynthia, my eldest
girl, has just got engaged and we are to have a wedding in the autumn
and all kinds of fuss; but I have not forgotten you, Hilda, and I have
just come to carry you off for the day. It is a lovely day, and we are
all going to drive to Richmond to picnic in the park. Run upstairs, my
love, and put on your hat and gloves. I mean to carry you off
immediately."

"But Jasper has just gone to town--he will be so sorry to have missed
you," said Hilda.

"Well, I suppose I can endure life even though I have missed Jasper,"
said Lady Malvern with a laugh. "In any case I want you, and so does
Cynthia. Cynthia has taken a great fancy to you, Hilda; so run away