Half an hour later, as she was about to ascend again to the
top of the house, one of the servants informed her that "the master had
just left the Belvidere, and had gone into his study."
Crossing the inner hall, on her way to the study, Stella noticed an
unopened letter, addressed to Romayne, lying on a table in a corner. He
had probably laid it aside and forgotten it. She entered his room with
the letter in her hand.
The only light was a reading lamp, with the shade so lowered that the
corners of the study were left in obscurity. In one of these corners
Romayne was dimly visible, sitting with his head sunk on his breast. He
never moved when Stella opened the door. At first she thought he might
be asleep.
"Do I disturb you, Lewis?" she asked softly.
"No, my dear."
There was a change in the tone of his voice, which his wife's quick ear
detected. "I am afraid you are not well," she said anxiously.
"I am a little tired after our long ride to-day. Do you want to go back
to the Belvidere?"
"Not without you. Shall I leave you to rest here?"
He seemed not to hear the question.
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