she murmured almost all snow and darkness at the chapter le oil n a re il a un de vent old ballad the next morning dawned cold and dismal a dense yellow fog hung over the metropolis like a pall � the street lamps were lighted but their scarcely the and the chill of the snow air penetrated into the warmest rooms and made itself felt even by the side of the brightest fires sir philip woke with an uncomfortable sense of headache and depression and grumbled � as surely every has a the land of mockery right to at the wretchedness of his country s winter climate his humour was not improved when a arrived before breakfast him in haste to a dull town in one of the on pressing business connected with his for parliament what a bore he exclaimed showing the to his wife i go � and i shan t be able to get back to night you ll be all alone i wish you d go to the why said quietly i shall much prefer to be here i do not mind philip i am accustomed to be alone something in her tone struck him as particularly sad and he looked at her intently now my darling he said suddenly if this bother is making you feel worried or vexed in any way i ll throw it all by jove i will and he drew her into his warm embrace after all he added with a laugh what does it matter the country can get on without me smiled a little you must not talk so foolishly philip she said tenderly it is wrong to begin a thing of importance and not go through with it and i am not worried or vexed at all what would people say of me if i your wife were for my own selfish comfort and pleasure of having you always with me to prevent you from taking a good place among the men of your nation indeed i should deserve much blame and so though it is a gloomy day for you poor boy � you must go to this place where you are wanted and i shall think of you all the time you are gone and shall be so happy to welcome you home to morrow and she kissed and clung to him for a moment in silence all that day philip was haunted by the remembrance of the lingering tenderness of her farewell embrace by ten o clock he was gone taking with him and after her household duties were over prepared herself to go and lunch with old mrs and see what she would advise concerning the affair of sir francis but at the same time she resolved that nothing should make her speak of the reports that were afloat about her husband and violet know it is all false she said to herself over and over again and the people here are as silly as the in ready to believe any so long as it gives them something to talk about but they may chatter as they please � i shall not say one word not even to philip � for it would seem as if i him thus she put away all the morbid fancies that threatened to her and became almost cheerful and while she made her simple plans for pleasantly passing the long dull day of her husband s enforced absence her friend lady was making arrangements of a very nature her had received a from sir francis that morning the pink had apparently put her in an excellent humour though after reading it she it up and threw it in the waste paper basket from which her attendant half an hour later extracted it it in her own pocket for private perusal at leisure she ordered her saying she was going out on business � and before departing she took from her dressing case certain bank notes and crammed them hastily into her purse � a purse which in all good faith she handed to her maid to put in her bag of course managed to make herself aware of its contents � but when her at last entered her carriage her unexpected order to the brilliant theatre strand was sufficient to and cause him to exchange surprise with who merely smiled a incomprehensible smile where did your la ship say asked are you getting deaf responded his mistress pleasantly to the brilliant theatre she raised her voice and spoke with distinct emphasis there was no her touched his hat � in the same instant he winked at and then the carriage rolled away at night the brilliant theatre is a pretty little place � comfortable bright and deserving of its name � in broad day it is none of these things a seems to have settled upon it � it has a peculiar atmosphere of its own � an atmosphere dark heavy and strangely with of escaping gas and crushed orange behind the scenes these mingle with a all smell of beer � beer which the stranger s sensitive nose d directly in spite of the choking the land of mockery clouds of dust which arise from the boards at the smallest movement of any part of the painted scenery the brilliant had gone through much ill fortune � its never realized any financial profit till they secured violet with her came prosperity her utter absence of all reserve � the frankness with which she threw modesty to the winds � the vigour with which she danced a regular break down � roaring a comic song of the lowest type by way of accompaniment � the manner in which speaking she kicked at the public with her legs � all this of genius on her part drew crowds to the brilliant nightly and the grateful and happy paid her a handsome salary humoured all her and and for 