"I think it is going all right," Lady Tilchester said to me as we walked up-stairs together. "They are making arrangements to meet in London, and Luffy has not been asked to join the theatre-party." "No. He is going to lunch and to take them to skate," I said. "Oh, the clever girl!" and she laughed. "But I expect she will decide to be a duchess, in the end." "If you could tell her anything especially splendid about her position at the Coronation next year, should she accept the Duke, I am sure it would have an effect." "Cordelia is behaving like a fool about it. She asked them here, and made all the arrangements, and now is absolutely uncivil to them." "How flattered Lord Luffton ought to be!" I laughed. "Yes, if it were any one else; but Cordelia has too many fancies. How glad one should be that one has other interests in life! Really, when I look round at most of my friends, I feel thankful. Perhaps, otherwise, I should have been as they are." Augustus had greatly profited by Lord Luffton's defection. Whether it was to make the latter jealous, I do not know, but Lady Grenellen had been remarkably gracious to him all the evening. I learned, casually, that she was to be the fourth at Dane Mount. "We shall be such a little party," she said. "Only myself and you and your husband. I asked Antony to take me in, as it is on the road to Headbrook, where I go the next day, I thought he was having a large party, though." I wished she was not going; there seemed something degrading about the arrangement. I had not let myself think of this visit. And now it would be the day but one after to-morrow! A strange restlessness and excitement took possession of me. I could not sleep. It was a raw, foggy morning when we all left Myrlton. The Duke accompanied us to London, and we were a merry party in the train, in spite of eight of us playing bridge. Augustus told me he had business in town, and would stay the night and over Sunday, arriving at Dane Mount by the four-o'clock train on Monday. "If you leave home at three, in the motor," he said, "we shall get there exactly at the same time." And so I returned to Ledstone alone. XIII The fog was white round the windows as I came down to my solitary breakfast on the 4th. My heart sank. What if it should be too thick for me to start? I could not bear to think of the disappointment that would be. I forced myself to practise for an hour after breakfast. Then I wrote a long letter to the Marquis de Rochermont. Then I looked again at my watch and again at the fog. I should start at half-past two, to give plenty of time, as we should certainly have to go slowly. At last, at last, luncheon came. I never felt less hungry, nor had the servants ever appeared so pompous and slow. It seemed as if it could never be half-past two. However, it struck eventually, and the automobile came round to the door.