, almost
touching her, hidden by the black depth of the trees, two figures.

She was upon them with a startled cry. A man had his arms about a woman;
bending back a little he had pulled her forward against him and was
kissing her so fiercely that her hands were buried deep in his coat to
steady herself.

Rachel knew them instantly; they were her husband and Nita Raseley--

She stepped past them on to the lawn and at that instant they were
conscious of her--

Then she walked swiftly into the house.

II

She went up to her bedroom. No thought came to her, her mind was blank,
but she noticed little things, put some of the silver things on her
dressing-table in order, pulled her blind a little lower, moved to the
fire and pushed the logs into a blaze. She sat there for a long, long
time.

When the dressing-bell echoed through the rooms she was still sitting
there, thinking nothing--

Her maid came to her; she told her the dress that she would wear and
after a while sat staring into her mirror whilst her hair was brushed.

Lucy said, "The snow's begun again, my lady. Coming down fast----"

Then some absence of light in her mistress's eyes frightened her and she
said no more.

Someone knocked on the door: a note for her ladyship. Rachel read it:

"It was all a horrible, _horrible_ mistake. Darling Rachel, you
_know_ it was only fun--just nothing at all. Shall I come and
explain? If you'd rather not see me just now say so and I shall
_quite_ understand. I've been so upset that I think I won't
come down to dinner, if it isn't _too_ much bother having just
a little sent up to me. It was all _such_ a silly mistake, as
you'll see when we've explained.

Your loving

NITA."

When she came to "we" Rachel coloured a little. Then she said, "Lucy,
bring me the local railway-guide. In my writing-room."

Lucy brought it to her. Then she wrote:

"DEAR NITA,

No explanations necessary. There is a good train up to town
from Hawes at 9.30 to-morrow morning.

Yours,

RACHEL SEDDON."

"I want this taken to Miss Raseley, Lucy--now. She's not very well, so
ask Haddon to see that dinner is sent up to her room, please."

Then she finished dressing and went down to Roddy.

III

He had perhaps expected that she would not come down, but there was no
opportunity given them for speech because the butler announcing dinner
followed her into the libr