he wondered why it
could not faithfully be matched in dress material owing to the peculiar
quality of light in the colour of the sky. It was just another such a
blue, so she thought, as she had seen on the morning of what was to
have been her wedding day, when, heavy-eyed and life-weary, she had
crept to the window of her room; then the gladness of the day appeared
so indifferent to her sorrow that she had raged hopelessly, helplessly,
at the ill fortune which had over-ridden her. This paroxysm of
rebellion had left her physically inert, but mentally active. She had
surveyed her life calmly, dispassionately, when it seemed that she had
been deprived by cruel circumstance of parents, social position,
friends, money, love: everything which had been her due. She had been
convinced that she was treated with brutal injustice. The joyous
singing of birds outside her window, the majestic climbing of the sun
in the heavens maddened her. Her spirit had been aroused: she had
wondered what she could do to defy fate to do its worst. The morning's
post had brought a letter from Perigal, the envelope of which bore the
Polperro postmark. This had told her that the despairing writer had
gone to the place of their prospective honeymoon, where the contrast
between his present agony of soul and the promised happiness, on which
he had set so much store, was such, that if he did not immediately hear
from Mavis, he was in danger of taking his life. There had been more to
the same effect. Immediately, all thought of self had been forgotten;
she had hurried out to send a telegram to Perigal, telling him to
expect a surprise to-day.

She had confided her dear Jill to Mrs Farthing's care. After telling
her wondering landlady that she would not be away for more than one
night, she had hurried (with a few belongings) to the station,
ultimately to get out at Liskeard, where she had to take the local
railway to Looe, from which an omnibus would carry her to Polperro.
Perigal had met her train at Liskeard, her telegram having led him to
expect her.

He was greatly excited and made such ardent love to her that, upon her
arrival at Looe, she already regretted her journey and had purposed
returning by the next train. But there was nothing to take her back
before morning; against her wishes, she had been constrained to spend
the night at Looe.

Here Perigal insisted on staying also.

Mavis, as she looked back on the last four days, and all that had