t on her
black dress, and turned herself slowly round before the looking-glass.
She was satisfied with the result.

It was her last day in Devon Street, so the Havilands had to be nice to
her. Ted went out soon after breakfast; he was incapable of any
sustained effort. Audrey did not know it, but the boy hated the house
now that she was in it. Katherine had dreaded being left alone with her
that morning. She knew that last words would come. And they came.

They were sitting together by the studio fire, talking about indifferent
subjects, when suddenly Audrey left her seat and knelt down by
Katherine's knees in at attitude of confession.

"Katherine," she began, and her grey eyes filled with tears, "before I
go, I want to tell you something----"

"What is it?"

"I want you to know that I really loved Vincent all the time."

She waited to see the effect of her words, but Katherine set her teeth
firmly and said nothing. Audrey went on, still kneeling. "I don't know
what made me get engaged to Ted,--I liked him, you know, dear boy,
but--I think it was because Vincent would not understand me; and he
wanted to hurry things so. And you see I didn't know then how much I
loved him. Then afterwards----" She stopped; she had come to the
difficult part of her confession.

"Well?"

"Then, you see, I knew Mr. Wyndham, and he----" Another pause.

"What did Mr. Wyndham do?" It was better that she should talk about Mr.
Wyndham than about Vincent.

"I don't know what he did, but he made me mad; he made me think I cared
for him. He was so clever. You know I always adored clever people; and,
well--nobody could call poor Vincent clever, _could_ they?"

In spite of herself, Katherine's lip curled with scorn. But Audrey was
too much absorbed in her confession to see it.

"I suppose that fascinated me. Then afterwards when Vincent took to
those dreadful ways--whatever my feelings were, you _know_, Katherine,
it was impossible."

Katherine could bear it no longer, but she managed to control her voice
in answering. "Why do you tell me these things? Do you suppose I care to
hear about your 'feelings'?--if you do feel."

"If I _do_ feel? Kathy!"

"Well, why can't you keep quiet, now it's too late?"

"Because--because I wanted you to know that I loved him."

There was silence. Presently Audrey put one hand on Katherine's knee.

"Kathy----"

"I'd rather you didn't call me that, if you don't mind."

"Why?" Audrey stared with