He was not there, and the room was in great disorder, closet and wardrobe doors and bureau drawers open and things scattered here and there, as if he had made a hasty selection of garments, tossing aside such as he did not want.
As Zoe gazed about in wonder and surprise, the sound of wheels caught her ear.
She ran to a window overlooking a side entrance, and dropped on her knees before it to look and listen without danger of being seen.
There stood the family carriage. Edward was in the act of handing Miss Fleming into it; Miss Deane followed, and he stepped in after her, only pausing a moment with his foot upon the step to turn and answer a question from his mother.
"How long do you expect to be gone, Edward?" Elsie asked.
"Probably a week or ten days, mother," he replied. "Good-by," and in another instant the carriage rolled away.
Zoe felt stunned, bewildered, as she knelt there leaning her head against the window frame and watched it till it was out of sight.
"Gone!" she said aloud; "gone without one word of good-by to me, without telling me he was going, without saying he was sorry for his cruel words last night, and with Miss Deane. Oh, I know now that he hates me and will never, never love me again!"
Bitter, scalding tears streamed from her eyes. She rose presently and began mechanically picking up and putting away his clothes, then made her usual neat toilet, stopping every now and then to wipe away her tears, for she was crying all the time.
The breakfast bell rang at the accustomed hour, but she could not bear the thought of going down and showing her tear-swollen eyes at the table. Besides, she did not feel hungry; she thought she would never want to eat again.