anting her palms flat upon it, leaned
forward upon them, and gazed at herself mercilessly. She tore off her
hat, rumpled her hair, rubbed her cheeks and gazed again. There were
some little fine lines at the corners of her eyes, and as she looked
and looked under the strong light, there stood out, silvery around her
temples, amid the fairness, the first half-dozen grey hairs. The sight
of them petrified her; she had not known she had so many.

"_Oh!_" she breathed.

Her fingers travelled down her neck. It had lost its roundness and, as
she turned it this way and that, examining, two muscles stood out; her
collar-bones showed faintly. The crude abundance of colour of the dyed
dress enhanced her lack of colour.

"Well ..." she began to judge slowly. Then "I suppose there's no help
for it."

Two tears dropped down her face. She sobbed and checked herself. She
heard her husband moving about quickly in his dressing-room, and she
hurried off her own garments, let down her hair, and brushed and
plaited it hastily. He came in and kissed her.

"She's had a good time!" he exclaimed, well pleased.

CHAPTER XVI

ISOLATION

Julia was waiting for a guest in that weird institution which she
called her club. The weird institution, however, had lost some of its
weirdness and gained in comfort and _cachet_. It now boasted many
members of distinction, new decorations and enlarged subscriptions.
Miss Julia Winter sat in the mauve drawing-room under soft light, in
the delicate glow of which her face took on suave and gentle lines,
and her eyes held hints of womanly mystery. Before her, one of the
many tables of the club drawing-room stood furnished with
blue-and-white tea equipage. Behind her back, as she sat settled in
the corner of a chesterfield, a fat silk pillow was crushed. For a
picture of modern bachelor-womanhood which knew how to do itself
thoroughly well, Julia could not, in these moments, have been
excelled.

The door opened and a page, after assuring himself of Miss Winter's
presence, announced: "Mrs. Kerr!"

A quiet and slender woman, in a shabby suit dated some six years ago,
came to meet Julia listlessly. Her listlessness, however, was only
bodily, for into her eyes some eager spirit had leapt and her hands
went out involuntarily. They were engulfed in Julia's well-shaped
large ones, and Marie was drawn down upon the mauve couch and the fat
pillow made to transfer its amenities.

Each woman looked at t