I was afraid that, when we’d arrived at the hotel and gone up to our rooms Lisa might want to stop with me, and be vexed when I turned her out, as I felt I must do.  But she seemed to have lost interest in me and my affairs, now that all doubt was settled.  She didn’t even wish to talk over what had happened; but when I bade her good-night, simply said, “good-night” in return, and let me shut the door between the rooms.

“I suppose,” I thought, “that the best thing I shall have to hope for after this, until I grow quite old, is to sleep, and be happy in my dreams.”  But though I tried hard to put away thoughts of all kinds, and fall asleep, I couldn’t.  My eyes would not stay closed for more than a minute at a time; and always I found myself staring at the window, hour after hour, hoping for the light.

CHAPTER XV

DIANA HEARS NEWS

It seemed as if the night would never end.  If I had been vain, and deserved to be punished for my vanity, then I was well punished now; I felt so ashamed and humiliated.

It must have been long after one when I went to bed, yet I was thankful when dawn came, and gave me an excuse to get up.  After I had had a cold bath, however, I felt better, and a cup of steaming hot coffee afterwards did me good.  I was all dressed when Morton, Aunt Lilian’s maid, knocked at my door to ask if I were up, and if she could help me do my hair.  “Her Ladyship” sent me her love, and hoped I had rested nicely.  She would be pleased to hear that I was looking well.

Looking well!  I was glad to know that, though it surprised me.  I stared at myself in the glass, and wondered that so many hours of misery had made so little impression on my face.  I was rather paler than usual, perhaps, but my cheeks were faintly pink, and my lips red.  I suppose while one is young one can suffer a good deal and one’s face tell no secret.

We were to make a very early start to examine the wonderful motor-car which Lord Robert West had advised Aunt Lil to buy.  Afterwards she and Lisa and I had planned to do a little shopping, because it would seem a waste of time to be in Paris and bring nothing away from the shops.  But when I tapped at Lisa’s door (dreading, yet wishing, to have our first greeting over), it appeared that she had a bad headache and did not want to go with us to see the Rajah’s automobile.  While I was with her Aunt Lil came in, looking very bright and handsome.

She was “so sorry” for Lisa, and not at all sorry for me (how little she guessed!); and before taking me away with her, promised to come back after it was settled about the car, to see whether Lisa were well enough by that time for the shopping expedition.