He was shown into the professor's study.
Mr Fraser smiled as he entered with a certain grim comicality which Alec's conscience interpreted into: "This won't do, my young man." "I hope your gout is better to-day, sir," he said, sending his glance wide astray of his words.
"Yes, I thank you, Mr Forbes," answered Mr Fraser, "it is better.

Won't you sit down ?" Warned by that smile, Alec was astute enough to decline, and presently took his leave.

As he shut the study door, however, he thought he would just peep into the dining-room, the door of which stood open opposite.
There she was, sitting at the table, writing.
"Who can that letter be to ?" thought Alec.

But it was early days to be jealous.
"How do you do, Mr Forbes ?" said Kate, holding out her hand.
Could it be that he had seen her only yesterday?
Or was his visual memory so fickle that he had forgotten what she was like?
She was so different from what he had been fancying her! The fact was merely this--that she had been writing to an old friend, and her manner for the time, as well as her expression, was affected by her mental proximity to that friend;--so plastic--so fluent even--was her whole nature.

Indeed Alec was not long in finding out that one of her witcheries was, that she was never the same.