-day."

"I am quite well," she said, with a forced composure that she felt did
not deceive him. It was necessary to invent some explanation, and she
continued hurriedly, "I did not sleep soundly last night. Some wandering
night bird flew in through my open window and startled me with its
frantic efforts to escape from the room. That is all. After a little
rest I shall be myself again."

"That gloomy old cathedral is not a healthy place, I am inclined to
think," he said, scanning her face again with the anxious gaze of one
who could not endure even a momentary eclipse of its bright vivacity.
"You go there too often, and now that we know from whom your commission
was received it is straining a point of etiquette to continue your work.
It will relieve any scruples you may have on that head if I tell you
that I paid Monsieur Beliani yesterday every farthing of the money
advanced to you by his agent in Paris."

"I am glad of that," she said simply. "I did not like the idea of being
indebted to him. Though he is a very clever man, I regard him as a good
deal of a rogue."

Alec was not to be switched off personal issues because Joan expressed
her opinions in this matter of fact manner. "I am quite sure you are
ill, or at any rate run down," he persisted. "What you need is a change
of air. I think I can allow myself a few hours' respite from affairs of
state to-day. What say you if the two of us drive to our country house
this morning and find out for ourselves the progress made by the
workmen? I seem to remember that the contractor named a date, not far
distant now, when the place would be habitable."

"There is nothing in the world that I should like better," said Joan.

Again Alec detected a strange undercurrent of emotion in her voice; but
he attributed it to the lack of sleep she had complained of, and with
his customary tact forbore from pressing her for any further
explanation.

They took their drive, and to all outward semblance Joan enjoyed it
thoroughly. Her drooping spirits revived long before the last straggling
houses of Delgratz were left behind. She exhibited the keenest interest
in the house and gardens. Although their inspection did not end until
the sun was high in the heavens, she insisted upon entering every room
and traversing many of the paths in the spacious grounds. She talked,
too, with a fluency that in any other woman would have aroused a
suspicion of effort; but Alec was too glad that the mar