d only come and kiss me and coax me a little, I'd say I
was sorry and didn't intend to vex him, so any more."

She hushed her sobs and listened. She could hear him moving about in the
dressing-room.

"Edward!" she called in soft, tremulous tones.

No answer.

She waited a moment, then called a little louder, "Ned!"

There was no reply, and she turned over on her pillow, and cried herself
to sleep.

When she woke all was darkness and silence.

She felt half frightened.

"Edward," she said softly, and put out her hand to feel for him.

He was not there. She sprang from the bed and groped her way into the
dressing-room.

There the moon shone in, and by its light she perceived the form of her
husband stretched upon a couch, while the sound of his breathing told her
that he slept.

She crept back to her bed, and lay down upon it with such a sense of utter
loneliness as she had never known before.

"Oh," she moaned to herself, "he hates me, he hates me! he wouldn't even
lie down beside me! he will never love me any more."

She wept a long while, but at last fell into a profound sleep.

When she next awoke day had dawned, but it was earlier than their usual
hour for rising.

The first object that met her gaze was Edward's untouched pillow, and the
sight instantly brought back the events of the previous day and night.

Her first emotion was resentment toward her husband, but better thoughts
succeeded. She loved him dearly, and for the sake of peace she would
humble herself a little. She would go and wake him with a kiss, and say
she was sorry to have vexed him, and if he'd only be kind and not order
her, she wouldn't do so any more.

She slipped out of bed, stole noiselessly to the door of the
dressing-room, and looked in.

He was not there, and the room was in great disorder, closet and wardrobe
doors and bureau drawers open and things scattered here and there, as if
he had made a hasty selection of garments, tossing aside such as he did
not want.

As Zoe gazed about in wonder and surprise, the sound of wheels caught her
ear.

She ran to a window overlooking a side entrance, and dropped on her knees
before it to look and listen without danger of being seen.

There stood the family carriage. Edward was in the act of handing Miss
Fleming into it; Miss Deane followed, and he stepped in after her, only
pausing a moment with his foot upon the step to turn and answer a question
from his mother.

"How lo