and the house,
and we'll keep together."

"Oh, certainly," said Stella, a little surprised at Mrs. Wade's manner.
"I know some people don't like dogs called after people. There was a
dear old man in Rome, Count Raimondi, Carlo Raimondi. I had a dear
King Charles spaniel then. He died of distemper, poor darling! Count
Raimondi did not like Carlo's being called after him. He had just the
same mouth and eyes, and both were rather fond of their food. So I had
to change Carlo for Golliwog, poor darling."

Mrs. Wade laughed, a sweet fresh laugh. Lady O'Gara was glad she could
laugh. She asked to be excused while she made the tea, and in her
absence Stella went round the room, exclaiming at the prettiness of
everything.

"Only I do not like her to be so lonely," she said. "I must come very
often to see her. She is a darling, is she not? Don't you feel drawn
to love her? Think of her having to depend on Susan for society--nice
as Susan is!"

Mrs. Wade came back with a dainty tea. She was with difficulty
persuaded to share it, saying that she had had her tea earlier. But
even when she yielded to persuasion she did not make much of a tea.
She had picked up a fan and sat shading her eyes with it from the lamp.
From the shadow her eyes doated on Stella.

CHAPTER XV

THE SHADOW

One evening some ten days later Lady O'Gara, who had been out, arrived
home with the dressing-bell. Hurrying upstairs, she found her husband
in his dressing-room. He had had his bath: she noticed that his hair
was wet as he stood in front of the glass, knotting his white cravat.
He wore hunting things in the Winter evenings, and the scarlet coat,
with the little facing of blue, became his dark skin and eyes.

"Is it you, Mary?" he asked, without turning round. "What kept you so
late?"

"I forgot the time. I went to see Mrs. Wade, and found Stella there.
I did not know she had been there since we brought Mrs. Wade a puppy to
keep her company. Stella was on her way here. She had sent on her
luggage, meaning to follow."

Sir Shawn turned about completely and stared at her. She saw that his
face was disturbed.

"I wonder if it was wise to take Stella there!" he said. "Poor woman!
One would not deny her any happiness. But--I warn you, Grace Comerford
will not like it. There is another thing, Mary. Come in and shut the
door. In a few minutes we shall have to go downstairs and talk
platitudes. I could wish we were a