"What, you are all alone?" said Corthell's voice, behind her. She turned about quickly. "I must be going," he said. "I came to say good night." He held out his hand. "Good night," she answered, as she gave him hers. Then all at once she added: "Come to see me again--soon, will you? Come Wednesday night." And then, his heart leaping to his throat, Corthell felt her hand, as it lay in his, close for an instant firmly about his fingers. "I shall expect you Wednesday then?" she repeated. He crushed her hand in his grip, and suddenly bent and kissed it. "Good night," she said, quietly. Jadwin's step sounded at the doorway. "Good night," he whispered, and in another moment was gone. During these days Laura no longer knew herself. At every hour she changed; her moods came and went with a rapidity that bewildered all those who were around her. At times her gaiety filled the whole of her beautiful house; at times she shut herself in her apartments, denying herself to every one, and, her head bowed upon her folded arms, wept as though her heart was breaking, without knowing why. For a few days a veritable seizure of religious enthusiasm held sway over her. She spoke of endowing a hospital, of doing church work among the "slums" of the city. But no sooner had her friends readjusted their points of view to suit this new development than she was off upon another tangent, and was one afternoon seen at the races, with Mrs. Gretry, in her showiest victoria, wearing a great flaring hat and a bouquet of crimson flowers. She never repeated this performance, however, for a new fad took possession of her the very next day. She memorised the role of Lady Macbeth, built a stage in the ballroom at the top of the house, and, locking herself in, rehearsed the part, for three days uninterruptedly, dressed in elaborate costume, declaiming in chest tones to the empty room: "'The raven himself is hoarse that croaks the entrance of Duncan under my battlements.'" Then, tiring of Lady Macbeth, she took up Juliet, Portia, and Ophelia; each with appropriate costumes, studying with tireless avidity, and frightening Aunt Wess' with her declaration that "she might go on the stage after all." She even entertained the notion of having Sheldon Corthell paint her portrait as Lady Macbeth.