She walked along the road choked with ecstatic, laughing sobs.  Her hand shook so that she could scarcely tear open the envelope; she tore a corner of the letter, and when the sheet was spread open her eyes were full of wild, delighted tears, which made it impossible for her to see for the moment.  But she swept the tears away and read this: 

DEAR DAUGHTER: 

It seems as if we had had pretty bad luck in not seeing you.  We had counted on it very much, and your mother feels it all the more because she is weak after her illness.  We don’t quite understand why you did not seem to know about her having had diphtheria in Paris.  You did not answer Betty’s letter.  Perhaps it missed you in some way.  Things do sometimes go wrong in the mail, and several times your mother has thought a letter has been lost.  She thought so because you seemed to forget to refer to things.  We came over to leave Betty at a French school and we had expected to visit you later.  But your mother fell ill of diphtheria and not hearing from you seemed to make her homesick, so we decided to return to New York by the next steamer.  I ran over to London, however, to make some inquiries about you, and on the first day I arrived I met your husband in Bond Street.  He at once explained to me that you had gone to a house party at some castle in Scotland, and said you were well and enjoying yourself very much, and he was on his way to join you.  I am sorry, daughter, that it has turned out that we could not see each other.  It seems a long time since you left us.  But I am very glad, however, that you are so well and really like English life.  If we had time for it I am sure it would be delightful.  Your mother sends her love and wants very much to hear of all you are doing and enjoying.  Hoping that we may have better luck the next time we cross—­

Your affectionate father,

Reuben L. Vanderpoel.

Rosalie found herself running breathlessly up the avenue.  She was clutching the letter still in her hand, and staggering from side to side.  Now and then she uttered horrible little short cries, like an animal’s.  She ran and ran, seeing nothing, and now and then with the clenched hand in which the letter was crushed striking a sharp blow at her breast.

She stumbled up the big stone steps she had mounted on the day she was brought home as a bride.  Her dress caught her feet and she fell on her knees and scrambled up again, gasping; she dashed across the huge dark hall, and, hurling herself against the door of the morning room, appeared, dishevelled, haggard-eyed, and with scarlet patches on her wild, white face, before the Dowager, who started angrily to her feet: 

“Where is Nigel?  Where is Nigel?” she cried out frenziedly.

“What in heaven’s name do you mean by such manners?” demanded her ladyship.  “Apologise at once!”

“Where is Nigel?  Nigel!  Nigel!” the girl raved.  “I will see him—­I will—­I will see him!”