ries,
Lambert did not put in an appearance at the forest cottage. Thinking
that he had departed to escape her, she made up her impatient mind to
repair to London, and to hunt him up at his club. With this idea she
intimated to Lady Garvington that she was leaving The Manor early next
morning. The ladies had just left the dinner-table, and were having
coffee in the drawing-room when Miss Greeby made this abrupt
announcement.

"Oh, my dear," said Lady Garvington, in dismay. "I wish you would change
your mind. Nearly everyone has gone, and the house is getting quite
dull."

"Thanks ever so much," remarked Mrs. Belgrove lightly. She sat near the
fire, for the evening was chilly, and what with paint and powder, and
hair-dye, to say nothing of her artistic and carefully chosen dress,
looked barely thirty-five in the rosy lights cast by the shaded lamps.

"I don't mean you, dear," murmured the hostess, who was even more untidy
and helpless than usual. "You are quite a host in yourself. And that
recipe you gave me for Patagonian soup kept Garvington in quite a good
humor for ever so long. But the house will be dull for you without
Clara."

"Agnes is here, Jane."

"I fear Agnes is not much of an entertainer," said that lady, smiling in
a weary manner, for this society chatter bored her greatly.

"That's not to be wondered at," struck in Miss Greeby abruptly. "For of
course you are thinking of your husband."

Lady Agnes colored slightly under Miss Greeby's very direct gaze, but
replied equably enough, to save appearances, "He is still in Paris."

"When did you last hear from him, dear?" questioned Lady Garvington,
more to manufacture conversation than because she really cared.

"Only to-day I had a letter. He is carrying out some special business
and will return in two or three weeks."

"You will be glad to see him, no doubt," sneered Miss Greeby.

"I am always glad to see my husband and to be with him," answered Lady
Agnes in a dignified manner. She knew perfectly well that Miss Greeby
hated her, and guessed the reason, but she was not going to give her any
satisfaction by revealing the true feelings of her heart.

"Well, I intend to stay here, Jane, if it's all the same to you," cried
Mrs. Belgrove in her liveliest manner and with a side glance, taking in
both Miss Greeby and Lady Agnes. "Only this morning I received a
chit-chat letter from Mr. Lambert--we are great friends you know--saying
that he intended to co