appened in books at smart watering-places.

"Ah, there is Maddy," said Lady Adela. "I do wonder what she thought."

"By the way," said Lady Chaloner, "we must tell her not to say anything
about it."

But the Princess had driven back in the company of M. de Moricourt and
Mr. Marchmont, and had, therefore, not heard the warning given by
Stamfordham to his companions in the other landau.

"Well," said the Princess eagerly, coming up to the others, "what did
you think of that? Wasn't it amazing?"

"Yes," said Lady Adela. "What do you think it was, Maddy?"

"Something awful, you may depend upon it," said the Princess; "and I am
sure little Marchmont knows. We tried to make him tell us on the way
back, but he wouldn't. But I gathered somehow that Lord Stamfordham
couldn't have done anything else."

Lord Stamfordham! Did they say Stamfordham? Rachel thought to herself
wonderingly. Was he here? And she had some kind of queer, puzzled
feeling that he was connected in her mind with something that had
happened lately. What was it?

"And Pateley doesn't know anything about it either," said the Princess.
"I met him just now and asked him."

"Did you?" said Lady Chaloner. "I don't think you ought to have done
that. I was going to tell you that Stamfordham said it was not to be
mentioned."

"Did he?" said the Princess, somewhat taken aback. "I asked Mr. Pateley
because I thought he would be sure to know. But I made him promise not
to tell anybody."

"I believe he did know, though," said Moricourt, who, though he spoke
his own language, understood perfectly everything that was said in
English. "I wonder what the quiet and charming wife that Wentworth
admires so much thinks?"

"Poor thing!" said Lady Chaloner gravely.

"By the way," said Lady Adela with a sudden idea, "Wentworth was with
him. Wentworth must know all about it, of course. He is sure to come to
the bazaar. We'll ask him."

"Wentworth was with him?" said Rachel to herself with an involuntary
movement, rising from her seat. Of whom were they speaking? What was it
all about? She was unconscious that she was standing scrutinising the
faces of the group near her as though trying to gather from them what
their words might mean. They, deep in their conversation, did not notice
her. Then, with a feeling of extraordinary relief--she hardly knew
why--she saw a familiar, substantial person coming along the promenade
with a sort of friendly swagger. She went forward