"He won't live with her?" "Certainly I shall not mention Mona," Fleda said, "and there won't be the slightest necessity for it. The wrong's quite sufficiently yours, and the demand you make is perfectly justified by it."!

He had laughed at his way of putting it, but Fleda remained grave. "Is that what you came to say to her?" "I can easily fancy what the Brigstocks say!" Fleda permitted herself to remark without solemnity.

"I've pulled myself together." Fleda paused; then she added: "And I've seen Mr. Owen." "So much the better, if it's the kind of one you desire." That was the most she could say, and having made it sound as dry as possible she lapsed into a silence so pointed as to deprive him of all pretext for not leaving her. Still, nevertheless, he stood there, playing with his hat and filling the long pause with a strained and anxious smile. He wished to obey her thoroughly, to appear not to presume on any advantage he had won from her; but there was clearly something he longed for beside. While he showed this by hanging on she thought of two other things. One of these was that his countenance, after all, failed to bear out his description of his bliss. As for the other, it had no sooner come into her head than she found it seated, in spite of her resolution, on her lips. It took the form of an inconsequent question. "When did you say Mrs. Brigstock was to have gone back?" "Whatever we hear, I must go." As the cab went on she added: "But I needn't drag you to the station."