When Lord Walderhurst took his departure for India, his wife began to order her daily existence as he had imagined she would.

Before he had left her she had appeared at the first Drawing-room, and had spent a few weeks at the town house, where they had given several imposing and serious dinner parties, more remarkable for dignity and good taste than liveliness.

The duties of social existence in town would have been unbearable for Emily without her husband.

Dressed by Jane Cupp with a passion of fervour, fine folds sweeping from her small, long waist, diamonds strung round her neck, and a tiara or a big star in her full brown hair, Emily was rather superb when supported by the consciousness that Walderhurst's well-carried maturity and long accustomedness were near her.

With him she could enjoy even the unlively splendour of a function, but without him she would have been very unhappy.