Catherine felt the breath fluttering in her throat as she murmured,
"Your scheme is ready?"
"Yes. It's a great one. Berrand thinks so. I have written something of it to him. I am going to trace the downfall of a nature from nobility to utter degradation."
His eyes sparkled with enthusiasm, as he repeated in thrilling tones,
"Utter degradation."
Catherine thought of the spring night, in which such holy preparations for joy were silently being carried on, of all the youthful things just coming into life. An inspiration came to her. She caught her husband's hand and drew him to the window.
"Pull up the blind, Mark," she said.
He obeyed, smiling at her as if in wonder at this freak.
"Now open the window."
"Yes, dear. There! What next?"