"I don't know," said Owen. "I thought I might hear this morning." "Because if he does come to me he must come to me there. If that telegram goes," said Fleda, "I return to Maggie's to-night."!

Fleda, drying her eyes, shook her head ever so sadly. "No, Mrs. Gereth, it isn't over. I can't do what you ask—I can't meet your condition." Fleda marveled: her companion had in an instant become young again. "Away from Mona? How in the world—?"

The ring of his question made his anger at Mona almost resemble for a minute an anger at Fleda; and this resemblance in turn caused our young lady to observe how handsome he looked when he spoke, for the first time in her hearing, with that degree of heat, and used, also for the first time, such a term as "perpetrated." In addition, his challenge rendered still more vivid to her the mere flimsiness of her own aid. "Yes, you've been perfect," she said. "You've had a most difficult part. You've had to show tact and patience, as well as firmness, with your mother, and you've strikingly shown them. It's I who, quite unintentionally, have deceived you. I haven't helped you at all to your remedy." "She'll never, never break off!" said Fleda. Mrs. Gereth jumped at this. "So that she'll break altogether if I keep them?"