Juliet thought of the long years of boredom and waiting which had made up her life; she thought of her dull, comfortable home; of her dull, comfortable visits, and longingly, daringly, she thought of the interesting "case" which was "urgent," and a "good chance." She recalled with a tingling of excitement her aunt's morning announcement, which necessitated her own departure on the morrow. "I could go over to Nunkton, and see what it meant. If there was anything I didn't like I could move on at once to the Blakes. No one need know; no one need guess. Even if I stayed for a few days, it could be arranged!" She stopped short in the middle of the pavement, and drew a deep breath of excitement. "It's my chance!" she cried to herself. "The chance I've been waiting for! Whatever happens, whatever comes of it--_I shall go_!" The next day Juliet set forth on her voyage of adventure, with the mingling of elation and nervousness inevitable under the circumstances. Remindful of telephone instructions, she attired herself with especial care, and was agreeably conscious that she looked her best. A travelling costume as smart as it was simple, a trig little hat, with just one dash of colour at the side to give the needed _cachet_ and emphasise the tints of the face beneath. "Really quite a creditable face!" she told herself, smiling back at a reflection of grey eyes thickly fringed with black lashes, curling, humorous lips, and the prettiest flush of pink--genuine, washable pink--upon the cheeks. "If I were happy, if I were interested, I might be almost--beautiful," she told herself with a sigh. "Every woman grows plain when she is superfluous and alone." Seated in the train, drawing near to her destination, Juliet found herself repeating the words over and over, like a child rehearsing a lesson. "Alice White," cried the mental voice, "Alice White," and again, "Alice White. It's my name! I must answer to it. I must give it when asked. I am Alice White, professional _something_--I don't know what. I am obeying a telephone summons meant for someone else, and, if I don't want to be discovered within five minutes of my arrival, I must keep my wits about me, and think seventeen times at least before I utter a word. I'm to be met at the station and treated as one of the family, and to remember that appearance is a strong point, and wear my best clothes..." She knitted her brows, and for the hundredth time endeavoured to reach a solution of the mystery. "I can't be a sick-nurse; the clothes settle that. If it had been that, I should have had to confess at once. But in other capacities I'm intelligent, I'm experienced, I'm willing. I'm _more_ than willing--I'm _eager_! There's no reason why I should not do as well as the real Alice. After all, it's quite a usual thing to take up work under a professional name. Writers do it, artists, actors; there can be no harm in using the poor girl's name, if I do my best with her work."