She had taken to lunching out too; when he asked Bilson if her mistress had been in to lunch, as often as not she would answer: “No, sir.”

He strongly disapproved of her gadding about by herself, and told her so. But she took no notice. There was something that angered, amazed, yet almost amused him about the calm way in which she disregarded his wishes. It was really as if she were hugging to herself the thought of a triumph over him.

He rose from the perusal of Waterbuck, Q.C. ’s opinion, and, going upstairs, entered her room, for she did not lock her doors till bedtime⁠—she had the decency, he found, to save the feelings of the servants. She was brushing her hair, and turned to him with strange fierceness.

“What do you want?” she said. “Please leave my room!”

He answered: “I want to know how long this state of things between us is to last? I have put up with it long enough.”