as probably as entranced by the general joy of life as he had
been a minute before. Then he would look puzzled, and then angry, and
then puzzled again.

Whatever was passing in Jeannie's mind, she concealed it with supreme
success, so that nobody could possibly tell that anything was passing
there, or that she had any currents going along below the surface. But
she had--currents that were going in the direction she had willed to set
them; but for all that they flowed in so strong a tide she hated the
flowing of them, and hated herself who had set them moving. She was
playing a deep game, and one that had required all her wit to invent,
and all her tact to play; but during all this Sunday and the day that
followed she observed the effect of her moves, and, though hating them,
was well satisfied with their result.

With the tail of her eye, or with half an ear, even while she was in
full swing of some preposterous discussion, punctuated with laughter,
with Jim Crowfoot, she could observe Lord Lindfield, could see his
perplexity and his anger, could hear his attempts to talk and laugh, as
if there was nothing to trouble him; could note, before long, the sudden
change in his tone, the short monosyllables of answers, the quenched
laugh. He was much with Daisy, but Mrs. Halton did not mind that;
indeed, it was as she would have had it, for it was clear how little
Daisy had the power to hold him, and it was just that which he was
beginning now to perceive. She wanted him to understand that very
completely, to have it sink down into his nature till it became a part
of him.

Yes, her diplomacy was prospering well; already the fruit of it was
swelling on the tree. It might be salutary; it was certainly bitter.

CHAPTER XXI.

Jeannie went that night to Lady Nottingham's room to talk to her. She
herself was feeling very tired, not with the sound and wholesome
tiredness that is the precursor of long sleep and refreshed awakening,
but with the restless fatigue of frayed nerves and disquiet mind that
leads to intolerable tossings and turnings, and long vigils through the
varying greys of dawn and the first chirrupings of birds.

"I have not come for long, dear," she said, "but I had to tell somebody
about--about what is happening. It's going so well, too."

Alice saw the trouble in Jeannie's face, and, as a matter of fact, had
seen trouble in other faces.

"I haven't had a word with you," she said, "and I don't know w