Owen was baffled but a few seconds; he had thought of everything. "Why, that's just where you come in." "I don't give it up—I never did," Fleda returned.!

"They may not have known of my leaving." Fleda wondered afresh; it struck her as scarcely supposable that some sign shouldn't have flashed from Poynton to London. If the storm was taking this term of silence to gather, even in Mona's breast, it would probably discharge itself in some startling form. The great hush of every one concerned was strange; but when she pressed Mrs. Gereth for some explanation of it, that lady only replied, with her brave irony: "Oh, I took their breath away!" She had no illusions, however; she was still prepared to fight. What indeed was her spoliation of Poynton but the first engagement of a campaign? He appeared puzzled by this statement, but he presently rejoined: "You haven't then said to mamma what you think?"

"It's stronger than yours." The man hesitated. "What can you call it, miss, if it ain't really saved?" Fleda, as if she humbly assented, went through no form of controverting this; she simply stood passive to her companion's sudden refreshment of her appearance. "How can I get him away from her?" she presently demanded.