y is sure to come and see if
I am up. I wonder why they are home so early. You must go, dear Alice.
I will tell you about it to-morrow. I am so tired, so suddenly and
frightfully tired."

Lady Nottingham got up.

"Yes, I will go," she said. "Oh, Jeannie, you are not exaggerating
things in your mind? Can't you tell me now?"

"No, my dear, it would take too long. Ah, there is Daisy."

A gentle tap sounded at the door; it was softly opened, and Daisy,
seeing the light inside, came in.

"Ah, but how wicked of you, Aunt Jeannie," she said, "when you told me
you were going to bed early. Yes, we are early too, but it was stupid
and crowded, and so Gladys and I came away. Oh, you darling, it is nice
to know you are here! But how tired you look!"

"Yes, dear, I am tired," said Jeannie. "I was just sending Aunt Alice
away. And you must go away too. But it was dear of you just to look in
to say good-night."

When the two had gone Jeannie sat down again in the window, her head
resting on her hands, thinking vividly, intently.

"Thank Heaven she does not love him!" she said at length.

CHAPTER VIII.

The geography of breakfast at Lady Nottingham's was vague and
shifting. Sometimes it all happened in the dining-room, sometimes, and
rather oftener, little of it happened there, but took place, instead
of on that continent, in the scattered islands of bedrooms. Gladys,
however, was generally faithful to the continent, and often, as
happened next morning, breakfasted there alone, while trays were
carried swiftly upstairs to the bedrooms of the others. She alone of
the inmates of the house had slept well that night. But she always
slept well, even if she had the toothache.

Daisy had not slept at all well. It would be nearer the mark, indeed,
to say that she had not even lain awake at all well, but had tossed
and tumbled in a manner unprecedented. There was no wonder that it was
unprecedented, since that which caused it had not occurred before to
her. She had left the dance quite early, dragging Gladys away, because
she had got something to think about which absorbed her. She had never
been really absorbed before, though it was a chronic condition with
her to be intensely and violently interested in a superficial manner.
But this went deeper; from the springs of her nature now there came
forth something both bitter and sweet, and tinged all her thoughts and
her consciousness.

In herself, as she lay awake that nigh