"How worn-out you look!--Yes, certainly--Agneta, take her up and let her rest--And you wish to speak to me afterwards?
Of course, my dear, of course--at any time." Miss Raeburn, controlling herself absolutely, partly because of Aldous's manner, partly because of the servants, took her guest upstairs straightway, put her on the sofa in a cheerful sitting-room with a bright fire, and then, shrewdly guessing that she herself could not possibly be a congenial companion to the girl at such a moment, whatever might have happened or might be going to happen, she looked at her watch, said that she must go down to dinner, and promptly left her to the charge of a kind elderly maid, who was to do and get for her whatever she would.
Marcella made herself swallow some food and wine.

Then she said that she wished to be alone and rest for an hour, and would come downstairs at nine o'clock.

The maid, shocked by her pallor, was loth to leave her, but Marcella insisted.
When she was left alone she drew herself up to the fire and tried hard to get warm, as she had tried to eat.

When in this way a portion of physical ease and strength had come back to her, she took out the petition from its envelope and read it carefully.

As she did so her lip relaxed, her eye recovered something of its brightness.