that--I respected it.
I didn't urge my case because I saw it was useless. You couldn't, I
understood well enough, have felt free to take such happiness as life
with me might give you while she was unhappy, and, as you imagined,
with no hope of release. Even then I didn't feel as you did about it; I
understood better the trend of things here. But ten years ago the change
hadn't really come; and I had no way of convincing you that it was
coming. Still, I always fancied that Leila might not think her case was
closed, and so I chose to think that ours wasn't either. Let me go on
thinking so, at any rate, till you've seen her, and confirmed with your
own eyes what Susy Suffern tells you."

III

All through what Susy Suffern told and retold her during their
four-hours' flight to the hills this plea of Ide's kept coming back to
Mrs. Lidcote. She did not yet know what she felt as to its bearing on
her own fate, but it was something on which her confused thoughts
could stay themselves amid the welter of new impressions, and she was
inexpressibly glad that he had said what he had, and said it at that
particular moment. It helped her to hold fast to her identity in the
rush of strange names and new categories that her cousin's talk poured
out on her.

With the progress of the journey Miss Suffern's communications grew
more and more amazing. She was like a cicerone preparing the mind of an
inexperienced traveller for the marvels about to burst on it.

"You won't know Leila. She's had her pearls reset. Sargent's to paint
her. Oh, and I was to tell you that she hopes you won't mind being the
least bit squeezed over Sunday. The house was built by Wilbour's father,
you know, and it's rather old-fashioned--only ten spare bedrooms. Of
course that's small for what they mean to do, and she'll show you the
new plans they've had made. Their idea is to keep the present house as a
wing. She told me to explain--she's so dreadfully sorry not to be able
to give you a sitting-room just at first. They're thinking of Egypt for
next winter, unless, of course, Wilbour gets his appointment. Oh, didn't
she write you about that? Why, he wants Borne, you know--the second
secretaryship. Or, rather, he wanted England; but Leila insisted that if
they went abroad she must be near you. And of course what she says is
law. Oh, they quite hope they'll get it. You see Horace's uncle is in
the Cabinet,--one of the assistant secretaries,--and I believe he