This morning she alighted from her carriage at the end of the pavement behind some tall evergreens.  As she walked toward the house, though absorbed with a serious purpose, she continued to be as observant of everything as usual.  Had an eye been observant of her, it would have been noticed that Mrs. Conyers in all her self-concealment did not conceal one thing—­her walk.  This one element of her conduct had its curious psychology.  She had never been able to forget that certain scandals set going many years before, had altered the course of Mrs. Meredith’s life and of the lives of some others.  After a lapse of so long a time she had no fear now that she should be discovered.  Nevertheless it was impossible for her ever to approach this house without “coming delicately.”  She “came delicately” in the same sense that Agag, king of Amalek, walked when he was on his way to Saul, who was about to hew him to pieces before the Lord in Gilgal.

She approached the house now, observant of everything as she tripped.  Had a shutter been hung awry; if a window shade had been drawn too low or a pane of glass had not sparkled, or there had been loose paper on the ground or moulted feathers on the bricks, she would have discovered this with the victorious satisfaction of finding fault.  But orderliness prevailed.  No; the mat at the front door had been displaced by Rowan’s foot as he had hurried from the house. (The impulse was irresistible:  she adjusted it with her toe and planted herself on it with a sense of triumph.)

As she took out her own and Isabel’s cards, she turned and looked out across the old estate.  This was the home she had designed for Isabel:  the land, the house, the silver, the glass, the memories, the distinction—­they must all be Isabel’s.

Some time passed before Mrs. Meredith appeared.  Always a woman of dignity and reserve, she had never before in her life perhaps worn a demeanor so dignified and reserved.  Her nature called for peace; but if Rowan had been wronged, then there was no peace—­and a sacred war is a cruel one.  The instant that the two ladies confronted each other, each realized that each concealed something from the other.  This discovery instantly made Mrs. Meredith cooler still; it rendered Mrs. Conyers more cordial.

“Isabel regretted that she could not come.”

“I am sorry.”  The tone called for the dismissal of the subject.

“This is scarcely a visit to you,” Mrs. Conyers went on; “I have been paying one of my usual pastoral calls:  I have been to Ambrose Webb’s to see if my cows are ready to return to town.  Strawberries are ripe and strawberries call for more cream, and more cream calls for more calves, and more calves call for—­well, we have all heard them!  I do not understand how a man who looks like Ambrose can so stimulate cattle.  Of course my cows are not as fine and fat as Rowan’s—­that is not to be expected.  The country is looking very beautiful.  I never come for a drive without regretting that I live in town.” (She would have found the country intolerable for the same reason that causes criminals to flock to cities.)