"What do you call meeting a fellow?" Fleda asked, with a smile. "Not a word."!

"But if he knew that so well, what chance was there in it for her?" "If we have lost?" Fleda repeated as she paused again.

"But she'll only have been here a few minutes. What sort of a visit is that?" Fleda cried. "Marry him if he were to ask me? Most distinctly not!" "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?