r in Regent Street to
introduce her, he passed on with a bow. His face did not wear a smile
and Carrissima was left with the impression that she remained
unforgiven. To tell the truth, his behaviour aroused rebellious
feelings in her breast; because, after all, she was not the only or the
original sinner.

So that each was going a separate way, Mark's (by no means
disagreeable) leading him on innumerable expeditions with Mary Bunbury,
when the god stepped out of the machine.

CHAPTER XXVII

'MRS. JIMMY'

Colonel Faversham set out one morning in November after prolonged
hesitation. A year ago he would not have thought twice, but of late he
had grown much more careful of himself. The day was misty and the air
struck raw and cold. He made no protest when Carrissima suggested that
he should wear a scarf, although after she had wound it around his neck
he, somewhat irritably, rearranged it in order to expose his necktie.

"Bless me!" he exclaimed, with something of his former energy, "you
seem to want to make me look like an infernal invalid. Thank goodness
I haven't got to that yet by a long shot. Molly-coddling a man in this
way!"

"I don't see much use in wearing a scarf if you tuck it down beneath
your coat," said Carrissima.

"Who wants to wear one?" he demanded, pulling it off and flinging it on
to the hall table. "I won't wear it. I won't be bothered and
interfered with!"

He selected a walking-stick from the stand, but when Carrissima opened
the door for him, returned to exchange it for an umbrella; at last,
setting forth at a quarter to twelve, walking rather slowly in the
direction of his club. As he made his way along Piccadilly Colonel
Faversham came almost to a standstill. Good heavens! that must be
Bridget coming towards him. He fixed his eye-glass and saw that he had
not make a mistake; in fact, it was difficult to be mistaken. She was
as becomingly dressed as ever, and carried an enormous muff, with a
great many of some small animals' tails depending from it.

Colonel Faversham's thoughts at once flew back to that last time he had
seen her in Golfney Place, when he had insisted that she should name
the date for their marriage--a week or two hence, as he had egregiously
hoped! And she had seemed to promise that she would gratify him when
he came the following morning, and he arrived with exuberant
anticipations only to find the bird flown! Everything stood out
clearly in his m