drawn into the circle against his will, was now standing close
to Dunn, almost between him and Lily,--and Crosbie was standing
within two yards of Lily, on the other side of Dunn. Emily and
Bernard had gone behind Pratt and Crosbie to Mrs. Thorne's side before
they had recognised the two men;--and in this way Lily was completely
surrounded. Mrs. Thorne, who in spite of her eager, impetuous ways,
was as thoughtful of others as any woman could be, as soon as she
heard Crosbie's name understood it all, and knew that it would be
well that she should withdraw Lily from her plight. Crosbie, in his
attempt to talk to Mrs. Smith, had smiled and simpered, and had then
felt that to smile and simper before Lily Dale, with a pretended
indifference to her presence, was false on his part, and would seem
to be mean. He would have avoided Lily for both their sakes, had it
been possible; but it was no longer possible, and he could not keep
his eyes from her face. Hardly knowing what he did, he bowed to her,
lifted his hat, and uttered some word of greeting.

Lily, from the moment that she had perceived his presence, had looked
straight before her, with something almost of fierceness in her eyes.
Both Pratt and Siph Dunn had observed her narrowly. It had seemed
as though Crosbie had been altogether outside the ken of her eyes,
or the notice of her ears, and yet she had seen every motion of his
body, and had heard every word which had fallen from his lips. Now,
when he saluted her, she turned her face full upon him, and bowed to
him. Then she rose from her seat, and made her way, between Siph Dunn
and Pratt, out of the circle. The blood had mounted to her face and
suffused it all, and her whole manner was such that it could escape
the observation of none who stood there. Even Mrs. Harold Smith had
seen it, and had read the story. As soon as she was on her feet,
Bernard had dropped Emily's hand, and offered his arm to his cousin.
"Lily," he had said out loud, "you had better let me take you away.
It is a misfortune that you have been subjected to the insult of
such a greeting." Bernard and Crosbie had been early friends, and
Bernard had been the unfortunate means of bringing Crosbie and Lily
together. Up to this day, Bernard had never had his revenge for the
ill-treatment which his cousin had received. Some morsel of that
revenge came to him now. Lily almost hated her cousin for what
he said; but she took his arm, and walked with him from