Jeanne touched his face slightly with her white hand.
"Come! Don't leave me in a temper! You won't miss me much, you will sleep all the way. Good-by!"
Cayrol kissed her; in a choking voice, he said:
"Good-by!"
And he left her.
Jeanne's face brightened, as she stood listening for a moment and heard the carriage which contained her husband rolling away. Uttering a sigh of relief, she murmured:
"At last!"
CHAPTER XX
THE CRISIS
Jeanne had just taken off her ball-dress to put on a dressing-gown of Oriental cloth richly embroidered with silk flowers. Leaning her elbows on the mantelpiece, and breathing heavily, she was waiting. Her maid came in, bringing a second lamp. The additional light displayed the rich warm hangings of ruby plush embroidered in dull gold. The bed seemed one mass of lace.