"Oh! I don't know! In a great moment, a terrible moment perhaps!"
She dropped her eyes, and began slowly to pull off her gloves.
"Talking of the verdict," she said presently, glancing toward the still open window, "is the date of the first full rehearsal fixed?"
"Yes. We decided on it this evening at the theater."
"When is it to be?"
"Next Friday night. There's no performance that night. We begin at six. I daresay we shall get through about six the next morning."
"Friday! Have you—I mean, are you going to ask Mrs. Shiffney?"
During their long and intimate talk at dinner that evening Claude had invited Mrs. Shiffney to be present at the rehearsal, and she had accepted. Now it suddenly occurred to him that she was his enemy. Would she still come after what had occurred just before he left her?
"I have asked her!" he almost blurted out.
"Already! When?"