"I will not return on Monday."
"Signora, you will, I think so. On Sunday night you will behold il marito. He will order you away; and what is left but to come back with your faithful Stephano?"
"What you say is very true," said Mrs. Belswin, coolly, "but things may turn out so that I can stay."
"Eh! have you the plan, Donna Lucrezia?"
"No; I leave everything to chance."
"Dio! what faith!" muttered Ferrari, lifting his hands; and the conversation ended with Mrs. Belswin agreeing that Ferrari should accompany her to Thornstream on Sunday afternoon.
With that profound belief in the unseen which is a strong characteristic of half-civilised natures, Mrs. Belswin, seeing that she could do nothing herself, left everything to chance, and expected this blind faith to be rewarded by some miraculous intervention which should change her husband's heart towards her. She had no grounds for such belief, but, hoping against hope, kept repeating to herself that all would yet be well, and that things would end happily.
Nevertheless, in spite of her striving to look upon the bright side of things, she received something of a shock when, on arriving at the Deswarth railway station, she saw Archie Maxwell advancing towards her with a most lugubrious expression of countenance. Wishing to speak with him, she sent Ferrari off to look after her portmanteau and drew the disconsolate lover into the bare waiting-room, where they could converse freely.
"Well?" asked Mrs. Belswin, sharply, looking at the downcast face of the young man; "is all this true?"
"About Sir Rupert?"