And then she fancied that she heard the gate creak, and a latch-key fumbling into the keyhole of the front door.  And one part of her brain said on behalf of the rest:  “I am mad.  I am delirious.”

It was a fact that Louis had caused to be manufactured for his own use a new latch-key.  But it was impossible that this latch-key should now be in the keyhole.  She was delirious.  And then she unmistakably heard the front door open.  Her heart jumped with the most afflicting violence.  She was ready to fall on to the carpet, but seemed to be suspended in the air.  When she recognized Louis’ footsteps in the lobby tears burst from her eyes in an impetuous torrent.

CHAPTER XVII

IN THE MONASTERY

I

When Mrs. Tams brought in his early cup of tea that Easter Saturday afternoon, Louis had no project whatever in his head, and he was excessively, exasperatingly bored.  A quarter of an hour earlier he had finished reading the novel which had been mitigating the worst tedium of his shamed convalescence, and the state of his mind was not improved by the fact that in his opinion the author of the novel had failed to fulfil clear promises—­had, in fact, abused his trust.  On the other hand, he felt very appreciably stronger, and his self-esteem was heightened by the complete correctness of his toilet.  On that morning he had dressed himself with art and care for the first time since the accident.  He enjoyed a little dandyism; dandified, he was a better man; the “fall” of a pair of trousers over the knee, the gloss of white wristbands, just showing beneath the new cloth of a well-cut sleeve—­these phenomena not only pleased him but gave him confidence.  And herein was the sole bright spot of his universe when Mrs. Tams entered.

He was rather curt with Mrs. Tams because she was two minutes late; for two endless minutes he had been cultivating the resentment of a man neglected and forgotten by every one of those whose business in life it is to succour, humour, and soothe him.

Mrs. Tams comprehended his mood with precision, and instantly.  She hovered round him like a hen, indeed like a whole flock of hens, and when he savagely rebuffed her she developed from a flock of hens into a flight of angels.

“Missis said as I was to tell you as she’d gone to see Mr. Julian Maldon, sir,” said Mrs. Tams, in the way of general gossip.

Louis made no sign.

“Her didna say how soon her’d be back.  I was for going out, sir, but I’ll stop in, sir, and willing—­”

“What time are you supposed to go out?” Louis demanded, in a tone less inimical than his countenance.

“By rights, now, sir,” said Mrs. Tams, looking backward through the open door at the lobby clock.

“Well,” Louis remarked with liveliness, “if you aren’t outside this house in one minute, in sixty seconds, I shall put you out, neck and crop.”