It was only by reiterated promises to read the play that night, and to make the fourth act in the morning, that Henry prevailed on the Countess to return to her room.
Left to himself, he began to feel a certain languid curiosity in relation to the manuscript.

He looked over the pages, reading a line here and a line there.

Suddenly he changed colour as he read--and looked up from the manuscript like a man bewildered.

'Good God! what does this mean ?' he said to himself.
His eyes turned nervously to the door by which Agnes had left him.

She might return to the drawing-room, she might want to see what the Countess had written.