ordinary fineness of her flexible waist, the stem of an expanded
flower, which gave her a likeness also to some long, loose silk purse,
well filled with gold pieces, but having been passed, empty, through a
finger-ring that held it together. It was as if, before she turned to
him, he had weighed the whole thing in his open palm and even heard
a little the chink of the metal. When she did turn to him it was to
recognise with her eyes what he might have been doing. She made no
circumstance of thus coming upon him, save so far as the intelligence in
her face could at any moment make a circumstance of almost anything. If
when she moved off she looked like a huntress, she looked when she came
nearer like his notion, perhaps not wholly correct, of a muse. But what
she said was simply: "You see you're not rid of me. How is dear Maggie?"

It was to come soon enough by the quite unforced operation of chance,
the young man's opportunity to ask her the question suggested by Mrs.
Assingham shortly before her entrance. The license, had he chosen to
embrace it, was within a few minutes all there--the license given him
literally to inquire of this young lady how long she was likely to
be with them. For a matter of the mere domestic order had quickly
determined, on Mrs. Assingham's part, a withdrawal, of a few moments,
which had the effect of leaving her visitors free. "Mrs. Betterman's
there?" she had said to Charlotte in allusion to some member of the
household who was to have received her and seen her belongings settled;
to which Charlotte had replied that she had encountered only the butler,
who had been quite charming. She had deprecated any action taken on
behalf of her effects; but her hostess, rebounding from accumulated
cushions, evidently saw more in Mrs. Betterman's non-appearance
than could meet the casual eye. What she saw, in short, demanded her
intervention, in spite of an earnest "Let ME go!" from the girl, and a
prolonged smiling wail over the trouble she was giving. The Prince was
quite aware, at this moment, that departure, for himself, was indicated;
the question of Miss Stant's installation didn't demand his presence;
it was a case for one to go away--if one hadn't a reason for staying. He
had a reason, however--of that he was equally aware; and he had not
for a good while done anything more conscious and intentional than
not, quickly, to take leave. His visible insistence--for it came to
that--even demanded of him