Eliot waited almost an hour in the drawing-room for madame to return, and Mrs. Van Zandt grew angry and impatient at the detention of her guest by that Little Nobody. Eliot made all the excuses he could. They were talking about the flowers; Mme. Leonie loved them so dearly, etc. At last he went in search of the two.
Madame was just emerging from the conservatory with a smile of triumph on her handsome face.
As he would have passed her, she detained him with a hand laid heavily on his arm.
"Do not go to her yet. She desired me to keep you away from her a little while until she can collect her thoughts and decide whether it is best to share her terrible secret with you or not."
"But surely she needs me now," he said, quailing at the words. "Her terrible secret!"
"She prefers to be alone, she said," madame returned, so positively that he decided, against his sense of duty, to humor Una's whim. He guessed it was not a pleasant revelation madame had made among the warm, sweet odors of the dim conservatory.
The actress returned to the drawing-room, made her adieus, and departed. Then the rest of the party broke up, and the family retired to their several apartments. Eliot went to the conservatory for Una.
"I can not leave her alone any longer in her trouble, poor child!" he thought, with a heart full of tenderness.
To his surprise, the flowery retreat was quite deserted.