lane of admiring and affectionate guests to their part of the house; and
at the door of the boudoir he left her without a word.

So, with the bride in lonely anguish in the great state bed, the night
of the home-coming passed, and the morrow dawned.

For thus the God of Pride makes fools of his worshipers.

* * * * *

It poured with rain the next day, but the same kind of thing went on for
the different grades of those who lived under the wing of the Tancred
name, and neither bride nor bridegroom failed in their rôles, and the
icy coldness between them increased. They had drawn upon themselves an
atmosphere of absolute restraint and it seemed impossible to exchange
even ordinary conversation; so that at this, their second dinner, they
hardly even kept up a semblance before the household servants, and,
being free from feasting, Zara retired almost immediately the coffee had
come. One of the things Tristram had said to her before she left the
room was:

"To-morrow if it is fine you had better see the gardens and really go
over the house, if you wish. The housekeeper and the gardeners will
think it odd if you don't! How awful it is to have to conform to
convention!" he went on. "It would be good to be a savage again. Well,
perhaps I shall be, some day soon."

Then as she paused in her starting for the door to hear what he had
further to say, he continued: