the day in the old times. But Florence had
outgrown her taste for these special dainties.

"I want to go out alone, Mummy," she said; "you and I and Kitty can have
a walk after tea, but just for the present I must be alone." She pinned
on her hat, put on her gloves, and left the cottage.

Mrs. Aylmer stood in the porch and watched her.

"A good girl, a fairly good-looking girl too," she said to herself, "but
obstinate, obstinate as a mule. Even that trouble of long ago has not
tamed her. She is the image of her poor dear father; he always was a man
with a desperate will of his own."

Miss Aylmer watched Florence until she disappeared in the direction of
the pier. There was a bench there, and a girl was seated on it. She wore
a pink dress of some washing material and a large black shady hat.
Florence came nearer and nearer. The girl, who was reading a book,
dropped it and gazed in her direction. Presently Florence found herself
within less than two hundred yards from the place where the other girl
was seated. At this moment the girl flung down her book, uttered a hasty
exclamation, and came forward.

"Is it or is it not Florence Aylmer?" she said. She held out both her
hands, uttering a little cry of apparent pleasure.

Florence did not notice the outstretched hands. She came up to her.

"I have come on purpose," she said; "I knew you were here. What are you
doing here?"

"Why should I tell you what I am doing?" replied Bertha. Her eyes
slightly contracted, she pushed her hair away from her forehead, then
she looked full at Florence and uttered a laugh. "What is the good of
quarrelling?" she said. "We have met. I am in the running; you are out
of it. I am up and you are down. My prospects are first-rate, yours----"

"What do you mean? How can you tell anything about my prospects? Why do
you trouble me? Why did you come to meet me just now?"

"Speak the truth," said Miss Keys; "were you not coming on purpose to
see me?"

Florence was silent for a moment.

"I recognised you this morning," she said, "and I was restless to know
why you were here."

"Ah, curiosity, you are Eve's own daughter," said Bertha Keys, with a
laugh. "Well, now that we have met, we may as well talk the thing out.
Can you deny that you are down and I am up?"

"I neither deny nor affirm your statement," replied Florence. "I have
never heard of you--I have never mentioned your name since that
dreadful day at Cherry Court six years ago."