But the question of the singular moods suggested by the conduct and the words of her friend Ella Linton stood on a very different basis.

Ella was her dearest friend, and nothing that she had said or done should be dismissed as profitless.
What on earth had Ella meant by appearing in that wonderful costume that night?
It was not a toilet for the opera, even on a Melba night; even on a "Romeo and Juliet" night, unless, indeed, the wearer meant to appear on the stage as _Juliet_, was the thought which occurred to the girl.
Her fantastic thought--she thought it was a fantastic thought--made her smile.

Unless---- And then another thought came to her which, not being fantastic, banished her smile.
_Unless_---- She got to her feet--very slowly--and walked very slowly--across the room.

She seated herself on the sofa where Ella had sat, and she remained motionless for some minutes.

Then she made a motion with one of her hands as if sweeping from before her eyes some flimsy repulsiveness--the web of an unclean thing flashing in the air.