the room.
It must be acknowledged in excuse for Bernard Dale, and as an
apology for the apparent indiscretion of his words, that all the
circumstances of the meeting had become apparent to every one there.
The misfortune of the encounter had become too plain to admit of its
being hidden under any of the ordinary veils of society. Crosbie's
salutation had been made before the eyes of them all, and in the
midst of absolute silence, and Lily had risen with so queen-like
a demeanour, and had moved with so stately a step, that it was
impossible that any one concerned should pretend to ignore the facts
of the scene that had occurred. Crosbie was still standing close to
Mrs. Harold Smith, Mrs. Thorne had risen from her seat, and the words
which Bernard Dale had uttered were still sounding in the ears of
them all. "Shall I see after the carriage?" said Siph Dunn. "Do,"
said Mrs. Thorne; "or, stay a moment; the carriage will of course be
there, and we will go together. Good-morning, Mr. Pratt. I expect
that, at any rate, you will send me your card by post." Then they all
passed on, and Crosbie and Fowler Pratt were left among the pictures.

"I think you will agree with me now that you had better give her up,"
said Fowler Pratt.

"I will never give her up," said Crosbie, "till I hear that she has
married some one else."

"You may take my word for it, that she will never marry you after
what has just now occurred."

"Very likely not; but still the attempt, even the idea of the attempt
will be a comfort to me. I shall be endeavouring to do that which I
ought to have done."

"What you have got to think of, I should suppose, is her
comfort,--not your own."

Crosbie stood for a while silent, looking at a portrait which was
hung just within the doorway of a smaller room into which they
had passed, as though his attention were entirely rivetted by the
picture. But he was thinking of the picture not at all, and did not
even know what kind of painting was on the canvas before him.

"Pratt," he said at last, "you are always hard to me."

"I will say nothing more to you on the subject, if you wish me to be
silent."

"I do wish you to be silent about that."

"That shall be enough," said Pratt.

"You do not quite understand me. You do not know how thoroughly I
have repented of the evil that I have done, or how far I would go to
make retribution, if retribution were possible."

Fowler Pratt, having been told to hold his tongue