The girl hung fire a few seconds. "Derived from him." "Why is it you hate him so?" her hostess abruptly inquired.!

The girl's heart gave a tremendous bound; the right way dawned upon her in a flash. Obscurity indeed the next moment engulfed this course, but for a few thrilled seconds she had understood. To send the things back "for her" meant of course to send them back if there were even a dim chance that she might become mistress of them. Fleda's palpitation was not allayed as she asked herself what portent Mrs. Gereth had suddenly perceived of such a chance: that perception could come only from a sudden suspicion of her secret. This suspicion, in turn, was a tolerably straight consequence of that implied view of the propriety of surrender from which, she was well aware, she could say nothing to dissociate herself. What she first felt was that if she wished to rescue the spoils she wished also to rescue her secret. So she looked as innocent as she could and said as quickly as possible: "For me? Why in the world for me?" "You should have told her, you know, that I had seen you in town only that one time," Fleda observed.

"That's just what makes Mona hesitate!" Owen honestly exclaimed. "I mean the idea that I shall get back the things only if she gives me up." "Ah, really?" cried Fleda, achieving a radiance of which she was secretly proud. "How very exciting!" "The whole thing has indeed been wretched, and I can easily conceive its effect upon her," Fleda said.