n, "our speaking
of it as delicacy than as duplicity. If you understand, it's so much
saved."

"What I always understand more than anything else," he returned, "is the
general truth that you're prodigious."

It was perhaps a little as relapse from tension that she had nothing
against that. "As for instance when it WOULD be so easy--!"

"Yes, to take up what lies there, you yet so splendidly abstain."

"You literally press upon me my opportunity? It's YOU who are splendid!"
she rather strangely laughed.

"Don't you at least want to say," he went on with a slight flush, "what
you MOST obviously and naturally might?"

Appealed to on the question of underlying desire, Mrs. Brook went
through the decent form of appearing to try to give it the benefit of
any doubt. "Don't I want, you mean, to find out before you go up what
YOU want? Shall you be too disappointed," she asked, "if I say that,
since I shall probably learn, as we used to be told as children, 'all in
good time,' I can wait till the light comes out of itself?"

Vanderbank still lingered. "You ARE deep!"

"You've only to be deeper."

"That's easy to say. I'm afraid at any rate you won't think I am," he
pursued after a pause, "if I ask you what in the world--since Harold
does keep Lady Fanny so quiet--Cashmore still requires Nanda's direction
for."

"Ah find out!" said Mrs. Brook.

"Isn't Mrs. Donner quite shelved?"

"Find out," she repeated.

Vanderbank had reached the door and had his hand on the latch, but there
was still something else. "You scarce suppose, I imagine, that she has
come to like him 'for himself?"

"Find out!" And Mrs. Brook, who was now on her feet, turned away. He
watched her a moment more, then checked himself and left her.

II

She remained alone ten minutes, at the end of which her reflexions
would have been seen to be deep--were interrupted by the entrance of her
husband. The interruption was indeed not so great as if the couple had
not met, as they almost invariably met, in silence: she took at all
events, to begin with, no more account of his presence than to hand him
a cup of tea accompanied with nothing but cream and sugar. Her having
no word for him, however, committed her no more to implying that he had
come in only for his refreshment than it would have committed her to
say: "Here it is, Edward dear--just as you like it; so take it and sit
down and be quiet." No spectator worth his salt could have seen them
mo