"He said he was sure you were in," commented the footman, on whom had been pressed a dollar, "and would you see him for just a moment?
He would not keep you more than a moment." Aileen, taken off her guard by this effrontery, uncertain as to whether there might not be something of some slight import concerning which he wished to speak to her, quarreling with herself because of her indecision, really fascinated by Lynde as a rival for her affections, and remembering his jesting, coaxing voice of the morning, decided to go down.

She was lonely, and, clad in a lavender housegown with an ermine collar and sleeve cuffs, was reading a book.
"Show him into the music-room," she said to the lackey.

When she entered she was breathing with some slight difficulty, for so Lynde affected her.

She knew she had displayed fear by not going to him before, and previous cowardice plainly manifested does not add to one's power of resistance.
"Oh!" she exclaimed, with an assumption of bravado which she did not feel.

"I didn't expect to see you so soon after your telephone message.