Did the big hound know the dress?  He rubbed his head against her arm and hand when she came down, and looked up and whined almost inaudibly.

“You are going out, Bras, and you must be a good dog and not try to go after the deer.  Then I will send a very good story of you to Mairi; and when she comes to London after the harvest is over, she will bring you a present from the Lewis, and you will be very proud.”

She went out into the square, and was perhaps a little glad to get away from it, as she was not sure of the blue dress and the small hat with its sea-gull’s feather being precisely the costume she ought to wear.  When she got into the Uxbridge road she breathed more freely, and in the lightness of her heart she continued her conversation with Bras, giving that attentive animal a vast amount of information, partly in English, partly in Gaelic, which he answered only by a low whine or a shake of his shaggy head.

But these confidences were suddenly interrupted.  She had got down to Addison Terrace, and was contentedly looking at the trees and chatting to the dog, when by accident her eye happened to light on a brougham that was driving past.  In it—­she beheld them both clearly for a brief second—­were her husband and Mrs. Lorraine, so engaged in conversation that neither of them saw her.  Sheila stood on the pavement for a couple of minutes absolutely bewildered.  All sorts of wild fancies and recollections came crowding in upon her—­reasons why her husband was unwilling that she should visit his studio, why Mrs. Lorraine never called on her, and so forth and so forth.  She did not know what to think for a time; but presently all this tumult was stilled, and she had resolved her doubts and made up her mind as to what she should do.  She would not suspect her husband—­that was the one sweet security to which she clung.  He had made use of no duplicity:  if there were duplicity in the case at all, he could not be the author of it.  The reasons for his having of late left her so much alone were the true reasons.  And if this Mrs. Lorraine should amuse him and interest him, who ought to grudge him this break in the monotony of his work?  Sheila knew that she herself disliked going to those fashionable gatherings to which Mrs. Lorraine went, and to which Lavender had been accustomed to go before he was married.  How could she expect him to give up all his old habits and pleasures for her sake?  She would be more generous.  It was her own fault that she was not a better companion for him; and was it for her, then, to think hardly of him because he went to the Park with a friend instead of going alone?

Yet there was a great bitterness and grief in her heart as she turned and walked on.  She spoke no more to the deer-hound by her side.  There seemed to be less sunlight in the air, and the people and carriages passing were hardly so busy and cheerful and interesting as they had been.  But all the same, she would go to Richmond Park, and by herself; for what was the use in calling in at the studio? and how could she go back home and sit in the house, knowing that her husband was away at some flower-show or morning concert, or some such thing, with that young American lady?