hen absent from England, that she was already
married, and of _his_ movements since then she is wholly ignorant.'

She listened with frank surprise; her face showed nothing more than
that.

'But,' she said, hesitatingly, 'I cannot quite understand. He holds
himself quite without responsibility? He leaves England without
troubling about her future?'

'Not at all. He knows I have her in my care. She being my ward, I have
a perfect right to demand that the child's fate shall not be trifled
with, that she shall be allowed to grow older and wiser before any one
asks her to take an irrevocable step--say for the space of two years.
Mr. Egremont grants my right, and I have never yet had real grounds for
doubting his honour.'

'I never doubted it, even on seeming grounds,' said Annabel, quietly.

'You are justified, Bell. Well, as you asked me, I thought it better to
tell you thus much. He leaves England morally as free as if he had
never heard her name.'

'One more question. How do you _know_ that she has no assurance of
his--affection?'

'He has himself told me that there has been not a word of that between
them. The only other possible source was her sister, who has seen her.
I did not see Lydia before the interview, because it was repugnant to
me to do so; their love for each other is something very sacred, and a
stranger had no right to come between them before they met. But I
subsequently saw Lydia in London. She soon spoke to me very freely, and
I found that she almost hated me because she thought I was planning to
marry her sister to Mr. Egremont. I also found out--I am old, you know,
Bell, and can be very deceitful--that Lydia, no more than her sister,
suspects serious feeling on his part. She scorned the suggestion of
such a possibility. It is her greatest hope that Thyrza may yet marry
Mr. Grail.'

'And what can you tell me of Thyrza herself?'

'She has been ill, but seems now in very fair health, The day she spent
with Lydia evidently did her a vast amount of good. That natural
affection is an invaluable resource to her, and, if I am not mistaken,
it will be the means of recovering happiness for me. She is quiet, but
not seriously depressed--sometimes she is even bright. The singing
lessons have begun, and she enjoys them; I think a new interest has
been given her.'

'Then I hope a very sad beautiful face will no longer haunt me.'

Thus did two ladies transact the most weighty part of their business
af