"To take means?" Fleda repeated. "Yes, that's what I understood from you at Ricks," said Fleda; "but I haven't repeated it to your mother." She had hated, at Ricks, to talk with him about Mona, but now that scruple was swept away. If he could speak of Mona's visit as fatal, she need at least not pretend not to notice it. It made all the difference that she had tried to assist him and had failed: to give him any faith in her service she must give him all her reasons but one. She must give him, in other words, with a corresponding omission, all Mrs. Gereth's. "You can easily see that, as she dislikes your marriage, anything that may seem to make it less certain works in her favor. Without my telling her, she has suspicions and views that are simply suggested by your delay. Therefore it didn't seem to me right to make them worse. By holding off long enough, she thinks she may put an end to your engagement. If Mona's waiting, she believes she may at last tire Mona out." That, in all conscience, Fleda felt was lucid enough.!

"What I mean to say is, if she's angry at your backing me up—what will you do then? She can't possibly like it, you know." Mrs. Gereth watched Fleda and considered. "You haven't any idea if they are waiting for the things?"

"In the first place, eh? And what does he mean in the second?" "You know better than I," said Fleda, speaking with high extravagance. "I can't tell you what it is to me to feel you on my side!" Owen exclaimed.