so nice," said the mother. Oh yes, it was a
little revenge upon those people who were taking her daughter from her,
and who thought themselves at liberty to jeer at all her friends: but as
was perhaps inevitable it touched Elinor a little too. She restrained
herself from some retort with a sense of extreme and almost indignant
self-control: though what retort Elinor could have made I cannot tell.
It was much "nicer" than anything else she had. None of Phil Compton's
great friends, who were not of the same _monde_ as the people at
Windyhill, had offered his bride anything to compare with the diamonds
which her father had given to her mother before she was born. And Elinor
was quite aware of the truth of what her mother said. But she would have
liked to make a retort--to say something smart and piquant and witty in
return.

And thus the evening was lost, the evening in which there was so much to
say, one of the three only, no more, that were left.

Miss Dale came next day to see "the things," and was very amiable: but
the only thing in this visit which affected Elinor's mind was a curious
little unexpected assault this lady made upon her when she was going
away. Elinor had gone out with her to the porch, according to the
courteous usage of the house. But when they had reached that shady
place, from which the green combe and the blue distance were visible,
stretching far into the soft autumnal mists of the evening, Mary Dale
turned upon her and asked her suddenly, "What night was it that Mr.
Compton came here?"

Elinor was much startled, but she did not lose her self-possession. All
the trouble about that date had disappeared out of her mind in the
stress and urgency of other things. She cast back her mind with an
effort and asked herself what the conflict and uncertainty of which she
was dimly conscious, had been? It came back to her dimly without any of
the pain that had been in it. "It was on the sixth," she said quietly,
without excitement. She could scarcely recall to her mind what it was
that had moved her so much in respect to this date only a little time
ago.

"Oh, you must be mistaken, Elinor, I saw him coming up from the station.
It was later than that. It was, if I were to give my life for it,
Thursday night."

This was four or five nights before and a haze of uncertainty had
fallen on all things so remote. But Elinor cast her eyes upon the
calendar in the hall and calm possessed her breast. "It was the si