es, and of intriguing without knowing it, I am not
quite sure that she will last very well. She might get tired of
me--quite believe I had done something which I had not done at all!
And then the innocent little intrigues might become less amusing to
me than to other people. However, I believe I am useful for the
present, and the life here suits me on the whole. But I will report
again soon if the symptoms become more unfavourable, and ask your
opinion as to my plans for the season if the Delaport Green
alliance breaks down before then.

"Yours affectionately,

"MOLLY DEXTER."

CHAPTER VIII

AT GROOMBRIDGE CASTLE

Mrs. Delaport Green counted it as a large asset in Molly's favour that
Sir Edmund Grosse was so attentive. Adela did not seriously mind Sir
Edmund's indifference to herself if he were only a constant visitor at
her house, but she was far from understanding the motives that drew him
there to see Molly. In fact, having decided, on the basis of his own
theory of the conduct of Madame Danterre, that Molly had no right to any
of the luxuries she enjoyed, he had been prepared to think of her as an
unscrupulous and designing young woman. Somehow, from the moment he
first saw her he felt all his prejudices to be confirmed. There was
something in Molly which appeared to him to be a guilty consciousness
that the wealth she enjoyed was ill-gotten. Miss Dexter, he thought, had
by no means the bearing of a fresh ingenuous child who was innocently
benefiting by the wickedness of another. The poor girl was, in fact,
constantly wondering whether the people she met were hot partisans of
Lady Rose Bright, or whether they knew of Madame Danterre's existence,
and if so, whether they had the further knowledge that Miss Molly Dexter
was that lady's daughter. They might, for either of these reasons, have
some secret objection to herself. But she was skilful enough to hide
the symptoms of these fears and suspicions from the men and women she
usually came across in society, who only thought her reserve pride, and
her occasional hesitations a little mysterious. From Sir Edmund she
concealed less because she liked him much more, and he kindly
interpreted her feelings of anxiety and discomfort to be those of guilt
in a girl too young to be happy in criminal deceit. With his experience
of life, and with his usually just