ng turns, of existence in New York, where the unexpected and
the extraordinary gave a zest to every day.

'Well, you collected perfectly,' she remarked.

'Oh, yes you did, really, Mr. Twemlow,' echoed Millicent.

'Did I?' he said, accepting the tribute with frank satisfaction. 'I used
to collect once at Talmage's Church in Brooklyn--you've heard Talmage
over here of course.' He faintly indicated contempt for Talmage. 'And
after my first collection he sent for me into the church parlour, and he
said to me: "Mr. Twemlow, next time you collect, put some snap into it;
don't go shuffling along as if you were dead." So you see this morning,
although I haven't collected for years, I thought of that and tried to
put some snap into it.'

Milly laughed obstreperously, Leonora smiled.

At the corner they could see Mrs. Burgess's carriage waiting at the
vestry door in Mount Street. The geologist, escorted by Harry Burgess,
got into the carriage, where Mrs. Burgess already sat; Harry followed
him, and the stately equipage drove off. Dr. Quain had married a cousin
of Mrs. Burgess's late husband, and he invariably stayed at her house.
All this had to be explained to Arthur Twemlow, who made a point of
being curious. By the time they had reached the top of Oldcastle Street,
Leonora felt an impulse to ask him without ceremony to walk up to
Hillport and have dinner with them. She knew that she and Milly were
pleasing him, and this assurance flattered her. But she could not summon
the enterprise necessary for such an unusual invitation; her lips would
not utter the words, she could not force them to utter the words.

He hesitated, as if to leave them; and quite automatically, without
being able to do otherwise, Leonora held her hand to bid good-bye; he
took it with reluctance. The moment was passing, and she had not even
asked him where he was staying: she had learnt nothing of the man of
whom Meshach had warned her husband to beware.

'Good morning,' he said, 'I'm very glad to have met you. Perhaps----'

'Won't you come and see us this afternoon, if you aren't engaged?' she
suggested quickly. 'My husband will be anxious to meet you, I know.'

He appeared to vacillate.

'Oh, do, Mr. Twemlow!' urged Milly, enchanted.

'It's very good of you,' he said, 'I shall be delighted to call. It's
quite a considerable time since I saw Mr. Stanway.' He laughed. This was
his first reference to John.

'I'm so glad you asked him, ma,' said M