He had been told that Nora Rowley was to be called for by another lady, a Mrs.Fairfax, to go out and look at pictures.

His wife had declined to join Mrs.Fairfax's party, having declared that, as she was going to dine out, she would not leave her baby all the afternoon.

Louis Trevelyan, though he strove to apply his mind to an article which he was writing for a scientific quarterly review, could not keep himself from anxiety as to this expected visit from Colonel Osborne.

He was not in the least jealous.
He swore to himself fifty times over that any such feeling on his part would be a monstrous injury to his wife.

Nevertheless he knew that he would be gratified if on that special day Colonel Osborne should be informed that his wife was not at home.