er voice which Micky could not
understand. She looked as if she had had some bad shock, and yet what
could have happened? He had not left her for more than a few minutes.

"Very well, I won't wait," he said formally. He spoke curtly; he felt
sore enough; he raised his hat stiffly and turned away.

He looked back once at the little house. He thought perhaps Esther
might be standing at the door in case he should turn, but the door was
shut, and it was impossible for him to guess that upstairs in the room
over the porch Esther had shut and locked the door and was pacing up
and down the room, her hands pressed hard against her eyes,
sobbing--great tearless sobs that seemed to rend her very heart.

"It's not true--it's not true," she said over and over again under her
breath. "It's not true--it's not true...."

The striking of a church clock in the village seemed to rouse her.
June would be back soon, and Miss Dearling.

She dabbed her eyes with her handkerchief; they felt hot and burning.
She looked at herself anxiously in the little mirror--such a white
face; she turned away impatiently.

Twelve o'clock; there was a train up to town at half-past, she knew.
The confusion in her brain seemed to have passed all at once; she felt
quite calm and clear.

She would go to Paris--she would see Raymond, and hear from his own
lips what a lie it was. She ought to have gone before. She had been a
fool to listen to Micky; of course he would not wish her to go.

She put a few things into a bag. She took the last letter she had
had from Raymond, and kissed it before thrusting it back into her
dress; she scribbled a pencil note to June and fastened it to the
pincushion.

With the little suit-case in her hand she went downstairs and out into
the street.

There was nobody about, and she almost ran to the station. The porter
who had witnessed her meeting yesterday with Micky stared at her
wonderingly.

The London train was due now, he told her. She'd have to hurry.... She
was gone before he finished his slow speech.

She found an empty carriage and got in, sitting as far away from the
door as possible in case any one should come along the platform and
recognize her. It was only when the train started away that she leaned
back and closed her eyes.

"I am going to Paris; I can't live without him any longer. Please
don't worry." Over and over she found herself repeating these words in
her brain. She wondered where she had heard