as
she had found necessary to employ in order to adequately deal with Mr.
Holland and that was how it came about that she was overwhelmed.

But so soon as she had partially recovered from her excitement, and had
dried her eyes, she began to think of the visit which had been paid
to her, not by George Holland, but by Herbert Courtland. She dwelt,
moreover, less upon his amusing account of the cruise of the _Water
Nymph_ than upon the words which he had said to her in regard to his
last visit. She had expressed her surprise at seeing him. Had he not
gone on a yachting cruise to Norway? Surely five days was under rather
than over the space of time necessary to thoroughly enjoy the fine
scenery of the fjords.

He had then laughed and said that he had received a letter at Leith
making his immediate return absolutely necessary.

"How disappointed you must have felt!" she suggested, with something
like a smile upon her face.

His smile was broader as he said:

"Well, I'm not so sure that my disappointment was such as would tend
to make me take a gloomy view of life for an indefinite time. Lord
Earlscourt is a very good sort of fellow; but----"

"Yes; I quite agree with you," said she, still smiling. "Knowing what
follows that 'but' in everyone's mind, we all thought it rather strange
on your part to start on that cruise. And so suddenly you seemed to make
up your mind, too. You never hinted to me that afternoon that you
were anxious to see Norway under the personal conductorship of Lord
Earlscourt."

"It would have been impossible for me to give you such a hint," said he.
"I had no idea myself that I wanted greatly to go to Norway, until I met
Earlscourt."

"So we gathered from what papa told us when he came in about midnight,
bringing Mr. Linton with him," said Phyllis. "Ella had come across to
me before nine, to ask me to go with her to 'Romeo and Juliet' at Covent
Garden, forgetting that I was dining with Lady Earlscourt."

"But you had not returned from the dinner party at nine," he suggested.
She had certainly succeeded in arousing his interest, even in such
ordinary details as those she was describing.

"Of course not; but Ella waited for me; I suppose she did not want to
return to her lonely house. She seemed so glad when I came in that she
made up her mind to stay with me all night."

"Oh! But she didn't stay with you?"

"Of course not, when her husband appeared. It was so funny--so
startling."

"So f