e badly treated? My sympathy is with her husband now.
What fools men are!" And Noreen swept indignantly from the room.

Every moment of the hour that they spent in the Club that evening was a
lifetime of torture to Muriel. She had faced a charging tiger with less
dread than she did the crowd at the tea-tables in the rink. She fancied
that every woman who looked at her was laughing in her sleeve at her,
that every man who bowed or spoke to her was pitying her. Suddenly her
heart seemed to stop beating, for she saw Frank sitting with Mrs. Norton
and two other ladies, her Calcutta cousins, as well as a couple of men
in the British Infantry regiment at Lebong. They were looking at her;
and she felt that Violet was pointing her out as the deserted maiden.
She tried to smile bravely when her rival waved her hand and called out
a cheery "good evening" to her and Noreen, who answered the greeting
with an almost defiant air of unconcern.

For days afterwards she saw practically nothing of Wargrave, who was
obliged to be in constant attendance on Mrs. Norton. Violet had induced
the manager of her hotel to find a room for him; and he was forced to
transfer himself and his belongings to the Eastern Palace. She
monopolised him, insisted on his taking her shopping in the mornings,
calling in the afternoons or to Lebong to watch the polo, or else
playing tennis with her at the Amusement Club. He dined with her every
evening and escorted her to the dances, concerts or theatricals that
filled the nights during the Season. He hardly recognised her in the gay
social butterfly with seemingly never a care in the world; and she made
him wonder every day if she had any love left for him or wanted him to
have any for her. For she showed no desire to be sentimental and treated
him very much as she had in the early days of their acquaintance. She
never discussed their future. He had not the moral courage to ask her
outright if she still wanted to come to him. She gave no indication of
being happy only in his company; for she soon began to release him from
attendance on her on occasions in favour of some one or other of the new
men friends that she rapidly made. He took advantage of this to see
something of Muriel again.

But this did not suit Mrs. Norton. Even if she did not want Frank
herself that was no reason why the girl should have him. She tried being
jealous and insisted on his breaking off the friendship; but, although
he hated the sce