Thus the night dragged through, and morning found him still more feverish and incapable of forming any definite idea of how he was to get over the interview with Mrs. Adair. He had quite discarded the idea of writing--and knew not how to reach Flora's presence; but see _her_ he must, and as soon as possible, for he could bear this suspense no longer.
He, of course, knew nothing of the change about Marie's wedding, and naturally supposed that the Adairs would certainly be at home about ten in the morning. Much after this his impatience would not permit him to wait.
The distance from the Rue Castiglione to the Rue de la Paix was so short that Mr. Earnscliffe preferred to walk; he hoped, besides, that the air and exercise would tend to calm him, yet it was in a hardly steady voice that he asked at the Hotel de Douvres for Madame Adair.
The concierge looked to see if the key was in its appointed place, and not seeing it, he answered the question in the affirmative, and indicated the _étage_ and number of their apartment.
Tremblingly Mr. Earnscliffe knocked at the door, but he heard no answer. Again he knocked,--still no answer. Could the concierge have been mistaken about their being at home? They might have gone out and have taken the key with them.
A sickening feeling of disappointment crept over him, and he was moving away, when it occurred to him that this door might only be an outer one, and that consequently his knocking might not have been heard, even if they were at home.
He went back and turned the handle. It _was_ an outer door, and closing it behind him, he advanced to an inner one which was partly open.
The sight which that half-open door disclosed to his view arrested his steps on the very threshold, and he stood for a moment like one transfixed.
There was Flora, in that strange, half-bridal costume, stretched upon the sofa, seemingly almost lifeless. Those closed eyes--that pallor--what did it all mean? And striking his forehead with his clenched hand he murmured, "O God, make not my punishment greater than I can bear!"
Then stealing softly over to the sofa he knelt down beside her and listened with rapture to the low sound of her breathing, even whilst he marked the hectic appearance of her complexion; and well he remembered how different it was formerly!