I no longer care to visit, nor to receive guests."

"I noticed the other day your ingenuity in revenging yourself."

"I say nothing but the simple truth. Had you rather I went out and
enjoyed myself without any reference to your wishes?"

"From the first you made up your mind to misunderstand me," said
Reuben, with the common evasion of one who cannot defend his course.

Cecily brought the dispute to an end by her silence. The next morning
Reuben went to see Mrs. Lessingham, and heard what she had to say about
Mrs. Travis.

"What is your evidence against her?" she inquired, after a little
banter.

"Some one who knows Travis very well assured me that the fault was not
all on his side."

"Of course. It is more to the point to hear what those have to say who
know his wife, Surely you acted with extraordinary haste."

With characteristic weakness, Elgar defended himself by detailing the
course of events. It was not he who had been precipitate, but Cecily;
he was never more annoyed than when he heard of that foolish letter.

"Go home and persuade her to write another," said Mrs. Lessingham. "Let
her confess that there was a misunderstanding. I am sure Mrs. Travis
will accept it. She has a curious character; very sensitive, and very
impulsive, but essentially trustful and warm-hearted. You should have
heard the pathetic surprise with which she told me of Cecily's letter."

"I should rather have imagined her speaking contemptuously."

"It would have been excusable," replied the other, with a laugh. "And
very likely that would have been her tone had it concerned any one
else. But she has a liking for Cecily. Go home, and get this foolish
mistake remedied, there's a good boy."

Elgar left the house and walked eastward, into Praed Street. As he
walked, he grew less and less inclined to go home at once. He could not
resolve how to act. It would be a satisfaction to have done with
discord, but he had no mind to submit to Cecily and entreat her to a
peace.

He walked on, across Edgware Road, into Marylebone Road, absorbed in
his thoughts. Their complexion became darker. He found a perverse
satisfaction in picturing Cecily's unhappiness. Let her suffer a
little; she was causing _him_ uneasiness enough. The probability was
that she derided his recent behaviour; it had doubtless sunk him still
more in her estimation. The only way to recover his lost ground was to
be as open with her as formerly, to confess all his weakne