Becoming more composed, she
yielded to Lady Loring's persuasion so far as to promise that she would
at least make the attempt to follow her friend to the gallery. "If I go
down with you," she said, "it will look as if we had arranged the
thing between us. I can't bear even to think of that. Let me look in by
myself, as if it was by accident." Consenting to this arrangement, Lady
Loring had proceeded alone to the gallery, when Romayne's visit was
announced. The minutes passed, and Stella did not appear. It was quite
possible that she might shrink from openly presenting herself at the
main entrance to the gallery, and might prefer--especially if she was
not aware of the priest's presence in the room--to slip in quietly by
the library door. Failing to find her, on putting this idea to the test,
Lord Loring had discovered Penrose, and had so hastened the introduction
of the younger of the two Jesuits to Romayne.
Having gathered his papers together, Father Benwell crossed the
library to the deep bow-window which lighted the room, and opened his
dispatch-box, standing on a small table in the recess.
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