the white ribbon
of country road that unrolled over rise and hollow, between the
sheep-dotted greenness of fields and the scented hedges. The soft beauty
enclosing her was a little shut out from her by her mental attitude. She
brought forward for her own decisions upon suitable action a number of
possible situations she might find herself called upon to confront.
The one thing necessary was that she should be prepared for anything
whatever, even for Rosy's not being pleased to see her, or for finding
Sir Nigel a thoroughly reformed and amiable character.

"It is the thing which seemingly CANNOT happen which one is most likely
to find one's self face to face with. It will be a little awkward to
arrange, if he has developed every domestic virtue, and is delighted to
see me."

Under such rather confusing conditions her plan would be to present to
them, as an affectionate surprise, the unheralded visit, which might
appear a trifle uncalled for. She felt happily sure of herself under any
circumstances not partaking of the nature of collisions at sea. Yet she
had not behaved absolutely ill at the time of the threatened catastrophe
in the Meridiana. Her remembrance, an oddly sudden one, of the definite
manner of the red-haired second-class passenger, assured her of that. He
had certainly had all his senses about him, and he had spoken to her as
a person to be counted on.

Her pulse beat a little more hurriedly as the brougham entered Stornham
village. It was picturesque, but struck her as looking neglected. Many
of the cottages had an air of dilapidation. There were many broken
windows and unmended garden palings. A suggested lack of whitewash in
several cases was not cheerful.

"I know nothing of the duties of English landlords," she said, looking
through her carriage window, "but I should do it myself, if I were
Rosy."

She saw, as she was taken through the park gateway, that that structure
was out of order, and that damaged diamond panes peered out from under
the thickness of the ivy massing itself over the lodge.

"Ah!" was her thought, "it does not promise as it should. Happy people
do not let things fall to pieces."

Even winding avenue, and spreading sward, and gorse, and broom, and
bracken, enfolding all the earth beneath huge trees, were not fair
enough to remove a sudden remote fear which arose in her rapidly
reasoning mind. It suggested to her a point of view so new that, while
she was amazed at herself for