After waiting in suspense an hour or two she falls asleep easily on the corner of the sofa and dreams that she is an eastern queen and that her robe of cloth of gold is all frosted with sparkling diamonds.
The gray dusk is falling when Mrs. Cleveland re-enters the room. She stands for some moments looking down at Ivy's wan, sleeping face, with the trace of tears still on the pale, thin cheeks, then wakes her with an impatient shake.
"I should have thought that your suspense would be too great to allow you to sleep so profoundly," she exclaims wrathfully, her ill-temper hightened by non-success in her errand.
"Oh, mamma, I felt so relieved when you went after Leslie, and so sure that you would get the diamonds, that I fell asleep without knowing it," Ivy answers, with some contrition. "But, mamma, you saw him—he gave them back, did he not?" she continued, eagerly, stretching out her hand for her treasures.
For answer, Mrs. Cleveland holds up her empty hands expressively, and Ivy utters a wail of woe.
"What did he say to you?" Ivy inquires, after a little, pausing in her angry sobs.
"I did not see him. He had gone out, and his servant could not tell me where," her mother answers.
"Then you will go again to-morrow. He will be at home then," Ivy exclaims, with renewed hope.
"No, for he is leaving town to-night," is the short reply.
"Leaving town!" Ivy's voice and look are full of consternation.