Betty, who had been present at Gyp’s birth, was in a queer state.  The obvious desirability of such events to one of motherly type defrauded by fate of children was terribly impinged on by that old memory, and a solicitude for her “pretty” far exceeding what she would have had for a daughter of her own.  What a peony regards as a natural happening to a peony, she watches with awe when it happens to the lily.  That other single lady of a certain age, Aunt Rosamund, the very antithesis to Betty—­a long, thin nose and a mere button, a sense of divine rights and no sense of rights at all, a drawl and a comforting wheeze, length and circumference, decision and the curtsey to providence, humour and none, dyspepsia, and the digestion of an ostrich, with other oppositions—­Aunt Rosamund was also uneasy, as only one could be who disapproved heartily of uneasiness, and habitually joked and drawled it into retirement.

But of all those round Gyp, Fiorsen gave the most interesting display.  He had not even an elementary notion of disguising his state of mind.  And his state of mind was weirdly, wistfully primitive.  He wanted Gyp as she had been.  The thought that she might never become herself again terrified him so at times that he was forced to drink brandy, and come home only a little less far gone than that first time.  Gyp had often to help him go to bed.  On two or three occasions, he suffered so that he was out all night.  To account for this, she devised the formula of a room at Count Rosek’s, where he slept when music kept him late, so as not to disturb her.  Whether the servants believed her or not, she never knew.  Nor did she ever ask him where he went—­too proud, and not feeling that she had the right.

Deeply conscious of the unaesthetic nature of her condition, she was convinced that she could no longer be attractive to one so easily upset in his nerves, so intolerant of ugliness.  As to deeper feelings about her—­had he any?  He certainly never gave anything up, or sacrificed himself in any way.  If she had loved, she felt she would want to give up everything to the loved one; but then—­she would never love!  And yet he seemed frightened about her.  It was puzzling!  But perhaps she would not be puzzled much longer about that or anything; for she often had the feeling that she would die.  How could she be going to live, grudging her fate?  What would give her strength to go through with it?  And, at times, she felt as if she would be glad to die.  Life had defrauded her, or she had defrauded herself of life.  Was it really only a year since that glorious day’s hunting when Dad and she, and the young man with the clear eyes and the irrepressible smile, had slipped away with the hounds ahead of all the field—­the fatal day Fiorsen descended from the clouds and asked for her?  An overwhelming longing for Mildenham came on her, to get away there with her father and Betty.

She went at the beginning of November.