to butchers' meat, she finished a chop and drank a couple of glasses
of wine for lunch. The food did her good, and she determined to take a
long rest. For a month she would do nothing but rest, she would not
think of painting, she would not even draw on the blotting-pad. Rest
was what she wanted, and there was no better place to rest than
Sutton.

'If it weren't so dull.' She sighed and looked out on the wet lawn. No
one would call, no one knew she had come home. Was it wise for her to
venture out, and on such a day? She felt that it was not, and
immediately after ordered the trap.

She went to call on some friends.... If they would allow her to bring
Mabel back to dinner it would be nice, she could show Mabel her
dresses and tell her about Paris. But Mabel was staying with friends
in London. This was very disappointing, but determined to see some one
Mildred went a long way in search of a girl who used to bore her
dreadfully. But she too was out. Coming home Mildred was caught in the
rain; the exertion of changing her clothes had exhausted her, and
sitting in the warmth of the drawing-room fire she grew fainter and
fainter. The footman brought in the lamp. She got up in some vague
intention of fetching a book, but, as she crossed the room, she fell
full length along the floor.




XI.