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About four o'clock on the following afternoon Mrs Morti her mistress' hair, was called to the door by a persistent knocking, which at first she had been bidden to disregard

It was Morti to knohether Mrs Mortimer could receive Mr Mortimer at once on matters of importance

"No," said Leila petulantly "Tell Mullins to say that I can not see anybody," and catching a gli about the dusky corridor: "What is the matter? Is Mr Mortiht be, and he went away, only to return in a fewa scratchy note from hisof resignation, took the blotched scrawl daintily between thuer and unfolded it Behind her, the rant hair, read the note very easily over herto talk to you, whether you like it or not Do you understand that? If you want to knohat's the irl out before I arrive"

She closed the note thoughtfully, folding and double-folding it into a thick wad The ink had coer-tips; she dropped the soiled paper on the floor, and held out her hands, plu the stains and had repolished the pretty hands, her htfully, nibbled a bit of dry toast, thenher the cup

A fewaround the room, then dropped into a seat, sullen, inert, the folds of his chin crowded out on his collar, his heavy abdos He had been freshly shaved; linen and clothing were spotless, yet the man looked unclean

Save for the network of purple veins in his face, there was no colour there, none in his lips; even his flabby hands were the hue of clay

"Are you ill?" asked his wife coolly

"No, not very I've got the juht, will you? I can smell it"

Leila set the delicate cup on a table behind her

"What ti a yawn

"I don't know; about five or six How the devil should I knohat time I came in?"