o on.' The footman mounted and
they rolled away.

There were several different things that had been present to Laura's
mind during the last couple of hours as destined to mark--one or the
other--this present encounter with her sister; but the words Selina
spoke the moment the brougham began to move were of course exactly those
she had not foreseen. She had considered that she might take this tone
or that tone or even no tone at all; she was quite prepared for her
presenting a face of blankness to any form of interrogation and saying,
'What on earth are you talking about?' It was in short conceivable to
her that Selina would deny absolutely that she had been in the museum,
that they had stood face to face and that she had fled in confusion. She
was capable of explaining the incident by an idiotic error on Laura's
part, by her having seized on another person, by her seeing Captain
Crispin in every bush; though doubtless she would be taxed (of course
she would say _that_ was the woman's own affair) to supply a reason for
the embarrassment of the other lady. But she was not prepared for
Selina's breaking out with: 'Will you be so good as to inform me if you
are engaged to be married to Mr. Wendover?'

'Engaged to him? I have seen him but three times.'

'And is that what you usually do with gentlemen you have seen three
times?'

'Are you talking about my having gone with him to see some sights? I see
nothing wrong in that. To begin with you see what he is. One might go
with him anywhere. Then he brought us an introduction--we have to do
something for him. Moreover you threw him upon me the moment he
came--you asked me to take charge of him.'

'I didn't ask you to be indecent! If Lionel were to know it he wouldn't
tolerate it, so long as you live with us.'

Laura was silent a moment. 'I shall not live with you long.' The
sisters, side by side, with their heads turned, looked at each other, a
deep crimson leaping into Laura's face. 'I wouldn't have believed
it--that you are so bad,' she said. 'You are horrible!' She saw that
Selina had not taken up the idea of denying--she judged that would be
hopeless: the recognition on either side had been too sharp. She looked
radiantly handsome, especially with the strange new expression that
Laura's last word brought into her eyes. This expression seemed to the
girl to show her more of Selina morally than she had ever yet
seen--something of the full extent and the miserable limit.