“Do you imagine that I allow myself to be influenced by the opinion of poor-spirited fools?” inquired Irene with fine scorn.  And then, suddenly changing her tactics, she sobbed and prayed me to grant her this one boon—­it might be the last thing she would ever ask.

Well, she was very handsome, and I am but human.  Before she left me I had promised to do what she wished.

It may be imagined that I passed a miserable day, distracted by a thousand gloomy apprehensions which increased as the fatal hour approached.  I have mentioned that there was to be a dinner party that evening.

“A lot of country neighbours,” as Maitland explained.  “They like a big feed from time to time.  I put out the old port and my wife wears her smartest dress and all the diamonds.  It is quite a fuss to persuade her to put them on, she is so nervous about them being lost!  She always insists on my locking them up in the safe again before I go to bed.  Of course I don’t contradict her, but half the time I leave them on my dressing-room table till next morning.  Ha! ha!  It is always best to humour ladies, even when they are a trifle unreasonable.”

It is one of Maitland’s little foibles that he never can resist drawing attention to the family diamonds (which are remarkably fine) by some passing allusion of this sort.

Nothing of any interest happened during dinner.  When it was at last terminated we retired to the drawing-room, and listened with great decorum to several pieces of music.  Miss Latouche was pressed to perform upon the harp, which she did with her usual melancholy grace.  To-night she was in a rich white robe, which enhanced the peculiarly dusky effect of her olive skin and masses of dark hair.  Her face was very pale; and, to my surprise, shortly after playing she complained of a bad headache and went off to bed.  I hardly knew what to think.  Had her courage failed her at the last, and, when it came to the point, did she shrink from braving the opinion of the world which she affected so thoroughly to despise?

“So, after all her boasting, she is no bolder than the rest of us!” I thought, with intense relief, as I wandered across the hall to join the other men in the smoking-room.  The last guest had departed, and very soon the whole house would be at rest for the night.  “How I shall laugh at her to-morrow!” I muttered.  “Never again will she impose—­”

My meditations were interrupted by an icy touch on my wrist.  Turning, I saw Irene by my side, with a dark cloak thrown over her evening dress.  Without speaking a word she drew me towards a side door into the garden, which was seldom used, and, producing a key from her pocket, opened it noiselessly.

“We can’t go out at this time of night!” I gasped, making a faint effort to break loose.  “I haven’t even a hat!  It’s really past a joke!”

“Remember your promise!” she whispered, in a voice of such awful menace that, feeling all resistance was useless, I followed her out into the darkness.  At that moment a sudden gust of wind slammed the door.