midnight
But they dried on her lashes ; not one fell . And when Rita came in breezily to join her at luncheon she was ready , her costume mended and folded in her hand-satchel , and there remained scarcely even a redness of the lids to betray her . That evening she did not stop for tea at Neville 's studio ; and , later , when he telephoned , asking her to dine with him , she pleaded the feminine prerogative of tea in her room and going to bed early for a change . But she lay awake until midnight trying to think out a _ modus vivendi _ for Neville and herself which , would involve no sacrifice on his part and no unhappiness for anybody except , perhaps , for herself . The morning was dull and threatened rain , and she awoke with a slight headache , remembering that she had dreamed all night of weeping . In her mail there was a note from Querida asking her to stop for a few moments at his studio that afternoon , several business communications , and a long letter from Mrs. Collis which she read lying in bed , one hand resting on her aching temples : `` MY DEAR Miss WEST : Our interview this morning has left me with a somewhat confused sense of indebtedness to you and an admiration and respect for your character which I wished very much to convey to you this morning , but which I was at a loss to express . `` You are not only kind and reasonable , but so entirely unselfish that my own attitude in this unhappy matter has seemed to me harsh and ungracious .