She shivered, and closed the window.  She was dressed for going out, and her little motor-brougham waited for her below.  Miss Leigh had gone to lunch and to spend the afternoon with some old friends residing out of town,—­an unusual and wonderful thing for her to do, as she seldom accepted invitations now where Innocent was not concerned,—­but the people who had asked her were venerable folk who could not by the laws of nature be expected to live very much longer, and as they had known Lavinia Leigh from girlhood she considered it somewhat of a duty to go and see them when, as in this instance, they earnestly desired it.  Moreover she knew Innocent had her own numerous engagements and was never concerned at being left alone—­especially on this particular afternoon when she had an appointment with her publishers,—­and another appointment afterwards, of which she said nothing, even to herself.  She had taken more than usual pains with her attire, and looked her sweetest in a soft dove-coloured silk gown gathered about her slight figure in cunning folds of exquisite line and drapery, while the tender gold of her hair shone like ripening corn from under the curved brim of a graceful “picture” hat of black velvet, adorned with one drooping pale grey plume.  A small knot of roses nestled among the delicate lace on her bodice, and the diamond dove-pendant Lord Blythe had given her sparkled like a frozen sunbeam against the ivory whiteness of her throat.  She glanced at herself in the mirror with a smile,—­wondering if “he” would be pleased with her appearance,—­“he” had been what is called “difficult” of late, finding fault with some of the very points of her special way of dress which he had once eagerly admired.  But she attributed his capricious humour to fatigue and irritability from “over-strain”—­that convenient ailment which is now-a-days brought in as a disguise for mere want of control and bad temper.  “He has been working so hard to finish his portrait of me!” she thought, tenderly—­“Poor fellow!—­he must have got quite tired of looking at my face!”

She glanced round her study to see that everything was in order—­ and then took up a neatly tied parcel of manuscript—­her third book—­completed.  She had a fancy—­one of many, equally harmless,—­ that she would like to deliver it herself to the publishers rather than send it by post, on this day of all days, when plans for the future were to be discussed with her lover and everything settled for their mutual happiness.  Her heart grew light with joyous anticipation as she ran downstairs and nodded smilingly at the maid Rachel, who stood ready at the door to open it for her passing.

“If Miss Leigh comes home before I do, tell her I will not be long,” she said, as she stepped into her brougham and was whirled away.  At the office of her publishers she was expected and received with eager homage.  The head of the firm took the precious packet of manuscript from her hand with a smile of entire satisfaction.