"Unless I go now for a time to try and get over this act of yours, I tell you frankly that I shall leave you altogether." He spoke sternly. "If you will have the decency not to oppose my wishes, I will go away for six or seven weeks, and when I come back we'll try and take up our life again a little differently. You must be less jealous and exacting and learn to control yourself. I will then try to forget and we'll try to get on better together. But I must go. My nerves won't stand it any longer." She sobbed, leaning her head on the back of an arm-chair. "If you agree to this without the slightest objection," said Nigel, "I will come and join you and the children somewhere in the first week in August. Till then I'm going abroad, but I don't exactly know where. You shall have my address, and, of course, I shall write. I may possibly go to Venice. I have a friend there." She still said nothing, but cried bitterly. She was in despair at the idea of his leaving her, but secretly felt she might have been let off less lightly. One thing Nigel resolved. He would not let her know he had been forbidden the house. She would be too pleased at having succeeded. But he said: "One thing you may as well know, I shall see nothing more of the Kellynches, because they are going into the country in a few days. They have had no quarrel, they are perfectly devoted to each other, and she has not the faintest idea of it. So you see you haven't done the harm, or caused the pain you tried to, except to me. I was ashamed when I saw----" "Oh, Nigel, forgive me! I am sorry! Don't go away!" "Unless I go away now, I shall go altogether. Don't cry. Try to cheer up!" With these words he left the room. CHAPTER XXX MISS BELVOIR We left Bertha and Madeline in the lift going up to call on Miss Belvoir. This lady was sitting by the fire, holding a screen. She came forward and greeted them with great cordiality. She was a small, dark, amiable-looking woman about thirty. Her hair and eyes were of a blackness one rarely sees, her complexion was clear and bright, her figure extremely small and trim. Without being exactly pretty, she was very agreeable to the eye, and also had the attraction of looking remarkably different from other people. Indeed her costume was so uncommon as to be on the verge of eccentricity. Her face had a slightly Japanese look, and she increased this effect by wearing a gown of which a part was decidedly Japanese. In fact it was a kimono covered with embroidery in designs consisting of a flight of storks, some chrysanthemums, and a few butterflies, in the richest shades of blue. In the left-hand corner were two little yellow men fighting with a sword in each hand; otherwise it was all blue. It was almost impossible to keep one's eyes from this yellow duel; the little embroidered figures looked so fierce and emotional and appeared to be enjoying themselves so much.