ear had all but come to her eyes, that
in thought she had been uttering words of indignant passion. They were
rare, those days in which she could not be quite herself. It was not
her nature to yield when weakness tempted.

And now he had written to her. Having read the note, she put it into
the bosom of her dress, and, whilst her fingers were busy, she turned
over every possible explanation in her mind. She knew that he had
abandoned his evil habits of late, and she could be just enough not to
refuse Totty some credit for the change. Gilbert himself had said that
the girl's influence seemed on the whole good. But some mystery was now
going to reveal itself. It concerned Thyrza; she was sure it did. The
fact that the note was delivered in this way, and the request for
secrecy which it contained, made this certain.

At dinner-time, and again in the evening, Thyrza was still in the same
state of depression and feverishness. Lydia said nothing of the
business which would take her out at eight o'clock. When the time came,
and she had to make an excuse, Thyrza said that she too would go out;
she wanted to see Totty.

'You'll tell Gilbert?' Lydia replied, afraid to make any opposition
herself.

'No. He'd say it wasn't good for me to go out, and I want to go. You
won't say anything, Lyddy?'

'I ought to, dear. You're not well enough to go, that's quite certain.'

'I won't be long. I must go just for half an hour.'

'Why do you want to see her?' Lydia asked, masking her curiosity with a
half-absent tone.

'Oh, nothing to explain. I feel I want to talk, that's all.'

From time to time--in her more difficult moments--Lydia had felt a
little hurt that the course of circumstances made no difference in
Thyrza's friendship for Totty. When her truer mind was restored, she
knew that the reproach was a foolish one. More likely it was she
herself who was to blame for having always nourished a prejudice
against Totty. At present, Thyrza's anxiety to go out was another
detail connecting itself with Ackroyd's summons. Something unexplained
was in progress between those three, Totty and Ackroyd and Thyrza. Her
resentment against the first of them revived.

She would soon know what it all meant. Thyrza and she left the house
together and went in opposite directions. Lydia crossed Kennington
Road, and found Luke waiting for her. She approached him with veiled
eyes.

'I'm so glad you've come,' he began, with signs of disturbance, '