How was the day to pass? Matters were worse than ever. If he had seen her, if he could have spoken to her, he might perhaps have felt better; as it was, the fever of unrest had deepened.
He was to meet the duchess that evening at the French Embassy; he would tell her she must relax some of her rigor in his favor. She was talking to the ambassador when he entered, but with a smiling gesture she invited him to her side.
"I hear that you called to-day," she said. "I had quite forgotten to tell you that we were going to Hampton Court."
"I could hardly believe it," he replied. "What took you there?"
"You will wonder when I tell you, Norman," she replied, laughingly. "I have always thought that I have a great capacity for spoiling people. My fair Madaline, as I have told you, is both poet and artist. She begged so hard to see the pictures at Hampton Court that I could not refuse her."
"I should not think the history of the belles of the court of Charles II. would be very useful to her," he said; and she was quick to detect the jealousy in his voice.
"Norman, you are half inclined to be cross, I believe, because I did not ask you to go with us."
"I should have enjoyed it, Philippa, very much."
"It would not have been prudent," she observed, looking most bewitchingly beautiful in her effort to look matronly and wise.
He said no more; but if her grace had thought of a hundred plans for making him think of Madaline, she could not have adopted one more to the purpose.