d she must look it all well in the face. She had
fulfilled the promise she had made to herself as a child. She had come
in search of Rosy, she had found her as simple and loving of heart as
she had ever been. The most painful discoveries she had made had
been concealed from her mother until their aspect was modified. Mrs.
Vanderpoel need now feel no shock at the sight of the restored Rosy.
Lady Anstruthers had been still young enough to respond both physically
and mentally to love, companionship, agreeable luxuries, and stimulating
interests. But for Nigel's antagonism there was now no reason why
she should not be taken home for a visit to her family, and her
long-yearned-for New York, no reason why her father and mother should
not come to Stornham, and thus establish the customary social relations
between their daughter's home and their own. That this seemed out of the
question was owing to the fact that at the outset of his married life
Sir Nigel had allowed himself to commit errors in tactics. A perverse
egotism, not wholly normal in its rancour, had led him into deeds which
he had begun to suspect of having cost him too much, even before Betty
herself had pointed out to him their unbusinesslike indiscretion. He had
done things he could not undo, and now, to his mind, his only resource
was to treat them boldly as having been the proper results of decision
founded on sound judgment, which he had no desire to excuse. A
sufficiently arrogant loftiness of bearing would, he hoped, carry him
through the matter. This Betty herself had guessed, but she had not
realised that this loftiness of attitude was in danger of losing some
of its effectiveness through his being increasingly stung and spurred
by circumstances and feelings connected with herself, which were at
once exasperating and at times almost overpowering. When, in his mingled
dislike and admiration, he had begun to study his sister-in-law, and
the half-amused weaving of the small plots which would make things
sufficiently unpleasant to be used as factors in her removal from the
scene, if necessary, he had not calculated, ever so remotely, on the
chance of that madness besetting him which usually besets men only
in their youth. He had imagined no other results to himself than a
subtly-exciting private entertainment, such as would give spice to the
dullness of virtuous life in the country. But, despite himself and his
intentions, he had found the situation alter. His f