e her, but when he
came she was unfortunately out. She had gone up to the house in Gower
Street, and had there been so cross-questioned by the indefatigable
Miss Colza that she had felt herself compelled to tell her
sister-in-law that she could not again come there as long as Miss
Colza was one of the family. It was manifest to her that these
questions had been put on behalf of Mr Maguire, and she had therefore
felt more indignant than she would have been had they originated in
the impertinent curiosity of the woman herself. She also informed
Mrs Mackenzie that, in obedience to instructions from Mr Slow, she
intended to postpone her purpose with reference to the hospital till
some time early in the next year. Mr Slow had sent a clerk to her
to explain that till that time such amicable arrangement as that to
which he looked forward to make could not be completed. On her return
from this visit to Gower Street she found the card,--simply the
card,--of her cousin, John Ball.

Why had she gone out? Why had she not remained a fixture in the
house, seeing that it had always been possible that he should come?
But why! oh, why! had he treated her in this way, leaving his card
at her home, as though that would comfort her in her grievous
desolation? It would have been far better that he should have left
there no intimation of his coming. She took the card, and in her
anger threw it from her into the fire.

But yet she waited for him to come again. Not once during the next
ten days, excepting on the Sunday, did she go out of the house during
the hours that her cousin would be in London. Very sad and monotonous
was her life, passed alone in her own bedroom. And it was the more
sad, because Mrs Buggins somewhat resented the manner in which her
husband was treated. Mrs Buggins was still attentive, but she made
little speeches about Buggins' respectability, and Margaret felt that
her presence in the house was an annoyance.

At last, at the end of the ten days, John Ball came again, and
Margaret, with a fluttering heart, descended to meet him in the empty
parlour.

She was the first to speak. As she had come downstairs, she had made
up her mind to tell him openly what were her thoughts.

"I had hoped to have seen you before this, John," she said, as she
gave him her hand.

"I did call before. Did you not get my card?"

"Oh, yes; I got your card. But I had expected to see you before that.
The kind of life that I am leading her