o time. Any day, any moment, she may
fall in love with him. He is extremely attractive."

"Do you mean you will tell Daisy that he has only been flirting with
her?" asked Alice.

"No, that would do no good. She would not believe it. Besides, any day
also he may propose to her. No, it must be more convincing than that.
She must see that which convinces her that he is not in earnest. We must
make him, if we can, under Daisy's very nose, flirt with somebody else.
We must make him neglect her. I don't know if it can be done, but we
must try. At least, I can think of no other plan which will not involve
telling Daisy all that we want to keep from her."

"But how--who?" asked Alice.

"He is coming to Bray--Lord Lindfield, I mean?"

"Yes; he is coming to-morrow evening with the others."

Jeannie paused in front of a mirror, looked long at herself, and spoke
to her image there.

"Yes, passable yet--just passable yet," she said to herself.

Lady Nottingham got up and came across the room to her.

"Jeannie, what do you mean?" she asked. "What is it you mean?"

Jeannie turned round quickly.

"Ah! you guess," she said. "I don't say it is nice; I shan't like myself
much, I can promise you. But it is not so long since he ran after me a
good deal. Perhaps you remember the fact. He didn't receive much
encouragement then. Well, I mean that he shall do it again. This time
he shall receive much more encouragement. I will make it very easy for
him. I will help him a great deal now. I will flirt with him all the
time at Bray. Flirt--yes. Oh, it is not a nice word, and flirts are not
nice people, as we settled only yesterday. We settled they were not
worth talking about. But I am going to be one now--and a bad one,
too--under Daisy's very nose. Perhaps I shan't succeed, but I shall do
my best; and if I don't succeed, we must try to think of something else.
But I want Daisy to see how easily and readily he makes love to a woman.
I want her to see herself slighted and neglected. I want her to be
hurt--and finally to be angry, to be furious, to see that he means
nothing. Then, provided only she is not in love with him now, she will
hate and despise him."

Jeannie spoke rapidly, excitedly, her face flushing.

"Or do you think it is a forlorn hope, Alice?" she said. "Am I but
flattering myself that I am not quite _passee_ yet? Oh, it is a heavy
handicap, I know, for a woman of my age to try to cut out a brilliant
young girl, and o