. At three o'clock in
the afternoon, at eight in the evening, and again at eleven o'clock at
night, he presented himself at the Milan Court, always with the same
inquiry. On the last occasion, the hall porter had cheering news for
him.

"Mrs. Wenham Gardner returned from the country an hour ago, sir," he
announced. "I can send your name up now, if you wish to see her."

Tavernake was conscious of a sense of immense relief. Of course, he had
known that she had not really gone away for good, but all the same her
absence, especially after the event of the night before last, was a
little disquieting.

"My name is Tavernake," he said. "I do not wish to intrude at such an
hour, but if she could see me for a moment, I should be glad."

He sat down and waited patiently. Soon a message came that Mr. Tavernake
was to go up. He ascended in the lift and knocked at the door of her
suite. Her maid opened it grudgingly. She scarcely took the pains to
conceal her disapproval of this young man--so ordinary, so gauche. Why
Madame should waste her time upon such a one, she could not imagine!

"Mrs. Gardner will see you directly," she told him. "Madame is dressing
now to go out for supper. She will be able to spare you only a few
seconds."

Tavernake remained alone in the luxurious little sitting-room for nearly
ten minutes. Then the door of the inner room was opened and Elizabeth
appeared. Tavernake, rising slowly to his feet, looked at her for a
moment in reluctant but wondering admiration. She was wearing an ivory
satin gown, without trimming or lace of any sort, a gown the fit of
which seemed to him almost a miracle. Her only jewelry was a long rope
of pearls and a small tiara. Tavernake had never been brought into close
contact with any one quite like this.

She was putting on her gloves as she entered and she gave him her left
hand.

"What an extraordinary person you are, Mr. Tavernake!" she exclaimed.
"You really do seem to turn up at the most astonishing times."

"I am very sorry to have intruded upon you to-night," he said. "As
regards the last occasion, however, upon which I made an unexpected
appearance, I make no apologies whatever," he added coolly.

She laughed softly. She was looking full into his eyes and yet he could
not tell whether she was angry with him or only amused.

"You were by way of being a little melodramatic, were you not?" she
remarked. "Still, you were very much in earnest, and one forgives a
gr