The time between his departure and seven o’clock she spent by herself, unoccupied, sitting as if tired.  She put off the necessary changing of garments till there was scarcely time for it.  When at length she was summoned she went down with flushed face.

‘I feel as if I were going to have a fever,’ she said to Stella in the drawing-room.  She could not help uttering the words, but laughed immediately.

‘Your hand is really very hot,’ Stella replied.

Mutimer had a cab at the door, and was waiting in the hall.

‘You’re a long time,’ was his greeting, with more impatience than he had ever used to her.

When they were together in the hansom: 

‘Why did you refuse Alice’s invitation before?’ he asked with displeasure.

‘I didn’t think she really wished me to accept it.’

She spoke without misgiving, still resenting his manner.

‘Didn’t think?  Why, what do you mean?’

She made no reply.

‘You didn’t ask her to call, either?’

‘I ought to have done so.  I am very sorry to have neglected it.’

He looked at her with surprise which was very like a sneer, and kept silence till they reached the house.

One of the ladies whom Adela had already met, and a gentleman styled Captain something, were guests at dinner.  Alice received her sister-in-law with evident pleasure, though not perhaps that of pure hospitableness.

‘I do hope it won’t be too much for you,’ she said.  ’Pray leave as soon as you feel you ought to.  I should never forgive myself if you took a cold or anything of the kind.’

Really, Alice had supplied herself with most becoming phrases.  The novels had done much; and then she had been living in society.  At dinner she laughed rather too loud, it might be, and was too much given to addressing her husband as ‘Willis;’ but her undeniable prettiness in low-necked evening dress condoned what was amiss in manner.  Mr. Rodman looked too gentlemanly; he reminded one of a hero of polite melodrama on the English-French stage.  The Captain talked stock-exchange, and was continually inquiring about some one or other, ‘Did he drop much?’

Mutimer was staying at the house over-night.  After dinner he spoke aside with Adela.

‘I suppose you go back to-morrow?’

‘Yes, I meant to.’

’We may as well go together, then.  I’ll call for you at two o’clock.’

He considered, and changed the hour.

’No, I’ll come at ten.  I want you to go with me to buy some things.  Then we’ll have lunch here.’

‘And go back for my luggage?’

’We’ll take it away at ten o’clock and leave it at the station.  I suppose you can be ready?’

‘Yes, I can be ready,’ Adela answered mechanically.

He drove back with her to Avenue Road in the Rodmans’ carriage, and left her at the door.

Mr. Westlake was expected home to-night, but had telegraphed to say that he would return in the morning.  Stella had spent the evening alone; Adela found her in the boudoir with a single lamp, reading.