neral undoing.--On second
thoughts, however, she decided it would be politic to avoid that
particular topic, since Damaris was evidently a little shy in respect of
her own beauty.--Henrietta smiled to herself.--That is a form of shyness
exceedingly juvenile, short-lived enough!

Marshall should act as her messenger, she being--as she could truthfully
aver--eager her missive might reach its destination with all possible
despatch. A letter, moreover, delivered by hand takes on an importance,
makes a claim on the attention, greater than that of one received by
post. There is a personal gesture in the former mode of transmission by
no means to be despised in delicate operations such as the present--"I
want to set myself right with you _at once_, dearest child, in case, as I
fear, you may have a little misunderstood, me yesterday. Accident having
so strangely restored us to one another, I long to hold you closely if
you will let me do so."--Yes, it should run thus, the theme embroidered
with high-flashing colour of Eastern reminiscence--the great subtropic
garden of the Sultan-i-bagh, for example, its palms, orange grove and
lotus tank, the call of the green parrots, chant of the well-coollie and
creak of the primitive wooden gearing, as the yoke of cream white oxen
trotted down and laboriously backed up the walled slope to the well-head.

Mrs. Frayling set herself to produce a very pretty piece of sentiment,
nicely turned, decorated, worded, and succeeded to her own
satisfaction. Might not she too, at this rate, claim possession of the
literary gift--under stress of circumstance? The idea was a new one. It
amused her.

And what if Damaris elected to show this precious effusion to
her father, Sir Charles? Well, if the girl did, she did. It might
just conceivably work on him also, to the restoration of
past--infatuation?--Henrietta left the exact term in doubt. But her hope
of such result was of the smallest. Exhibition of a tombstone was the
most she could count upon.--More probably he would regard it critically,
cynically, putting his finger through her specious phrases. She doubted
his forgiveness of a certain act of virtuous treachery even yet;
although he had, in a measure, condoned her commission of it by making
use of her on one occasion since, namely, that of her bringing Damaris
back twelve years ago to Europe. But whether his attitude were cynical
or not, he would hold his peace. Such cogent reasons existed for si