When she remained away from home till after midnight, Julian was always in fear lest some accident had happened to her, and once or twice of late she had declared (whether truly or not it was impossible to say) that she had had fits in the open street.

Weather made no difference to her; she would leave home on the pretence of making necessary purchases, and would come back drenched with rain.

Protest availed nothing, save to irritate her.

At times her conduct was so utterly unreasonable that Julian looked at her as if to see whether she had lost her senses.

And all this he bore with a patience which few could have rivalled.