Beverley had not dreamed that it would be accepted. And, after
all, they were both coming to the dance! This seemed ominous. It gave
her one more fear for the dreaded night.

Through the morning she still wildly hoped for news from Clo. Even as
the afternoon wore on she did not utterly despair; but at six o'clock,
when Roger advised her and the other women staying in the house to rest
till dressing-time, she definitely gave up. For the first time since
that Sunday night which marked the end of happiness, Roger slipped his
hand under her arm in a friendly, familiar way.

"Come along," he said. "I'll trot you up to your room and see that you
lie down. I want you to look your best to-night; and you know dinner's
at eight. You won't have more than an hour's nap. I suppose it'll take
you at least an hour to dress?"

"Just about," Beverley answered, dully. She knew that she could not
sleep, but she was worn out with the effort of "keeping up" before her
guests. She expected Roger to leave her at the door of her room, which
he had entered only when the house was being shown to friends; but to
her surprise, almost alarm, he followed her in. She said that she would
not ring yet for Leontine. She would unfasten her own frock and find her
own dressing-gown.

"I'll draw the curtains for you," Roger suggested, in the coolly kind
manner to which she had grown accustomed during the black fortnight.
"One rests one's brain best in twilight, I think. I'm sure you need
rest. I never saw you so pale. I hope you're not worried about
to-night?"

"Worried? Why should I be worried?" she echoed. "I'm sure everything
will go well, aren't you?"

"I hope so," he said, gravely. "You haven't shown me your new dress. I
suppose it's come?"

"Oh, yes," Beverley replied, convinced that it was not about the dress
he thought or cared. "It came the day after we arrived."

"Good! Then you'll be able to do full justice to the pearls!"

Beverley had the impulse to throw herself into her husband's arms and
upon his mercy; but she would not, or could not--she hardly knew which.
It seemed to her that he was being purposely cruel, and was deliberately
testing, torturing her, to see how much she could bear and not break.
"Let him find out when the time comes," she thought, in sullen despair.
Instead of confessing her trouble she asked if he would like to see her
new gown.

"No," Roger said. "I'll wait till you're ready and I can see you in your
glory