"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? "So you didn't ask?" The words had the note of surprise.!

"Why, Mona's much worse than her mother. She wants much more to give me up." "I am," Fleda replied, idealizing a little the fact. "I'm here only for a moment. But do you mean," she went on, "that if you had known I was with your mother you wouldn't have come down?"

Fleda was silent a moment. "No, I don't mean that Owen has any," she returned at last. "They'll read it first," said Mrs. Gereth. "Oh, I mean for myself!" Fleda said impatiently.