it was Paula who did so. For,
notwithstanding her assumption that Somerset could never be anything
more to her than he was already, Charlotte's heart would occasionally
step down and trouble her views so expressed.

Whether looking through a glass at distant objects enabled Paula to
bottle up her affection for the absent one, or whether her friend
Charlotte had so little personality in Paula's regard that she could
commune with her as with a lay figure, it was certain that she evinced
remarkable ease in speaking of Somerset, resuming her words about him in
the tone of one to whom he was at most an ordinary professional adviser.
'It would be very awkward for the works at the castle if he has got
into a scrape. I suppose the builders were well posted with instructions
before he left: but he ought certainly to return soon. Why did he leave
England at all just now?'

'Perhaps it was to see you.'

'He should have waited; it would not have been so dreadfully long to May
or June. Charlotte, how can a man who does such a hare-brained thing as
this be deemed trustworthy in an important work like that of rebuilding
Stancy Castle?'

There was such stress in the inquiry that, whatever factitiousness had
gone before, Charlotte perceived Paula to be at last speaking her mind;
and it seemed as if Somerset must have considerably lost ground in her
opinion, or she would not have criticized him thus.

'My brother will tell us full particulars when he comes: perhaps it is
not at all as we suppose,' said Charlotte. She strained her eyes across
the Platz and added, 'He ought to have been here before this time.'

While they waited and talked, Paula still observing the storks, the
hotel omnibus came round the corner from the station. 'I believe he has
arrived,' resumed Miss De Stancy; 'I see something that looks like his
portmanteau on the top of the omnibus.... Yes; it is his baggage. I'll
run down to him.'

De Stancy had obtained six weeks' additional leave on account of his
health, which had somewhat suffered in India. The first use he made of
his extra time was in hastening back to meet the travelling ladies here
at Strassburg. Mr. Power and Mrs. Goodman were also at the hotel, and
when Charlotte got downstairs, the former was welcoming De Stancy at the
door.

Paula had not seen him since he set out from Genoa for Nice,
commissioned by her to deliver the hundred pounds to Somerset. His note,
stating that he had failed to meet So