o certainly
seemed to notice everything; but she knew her mother too well to say
more just then.

With all her softness, Mrs. Ross had a great deal of womanly dignity,
and nothing would have ruffled her more than to be made to believe that
one of her girls cared for a man who had just given his heart to another
woman, and that Audrey--her bright, unselfish Audrey--should be that
girl. No, she would never have been brought to believe it.

Audrey was quite aware that her sister's eyes were upon her, and she
exerted herself to the utmost on every occasion when Geraldine was
present. But gaiety was very far from her, and she felt each day, with a
certain sickness of heart, that her burden was growing too heavy for
her. Her position with regard to Mr. Blake was becoming more difficult.
In spite of his efforts to see as little as possible of her,
circumstances were perpetually throwing them together. Every day they
met at luncheon; she must still keep her seat between him and her
father, but how differently that hour passed now! Instead of that eager,
low-toned talk, that merry interchange of daily news and plans, Cyril
would be absorbed in his carving, in his supervision of the boys; he
seemed to have no leisure to talk to Audrey. A grave remark upon the
weather, a brief question or two, and then he turned to his
fellow-master, Mr. Greville. Audrey never tried to divert his attention;
she listened to the two young men a little wearily. Politics could still
interest him, she thought; yes, politics were always safe. Once, when he
had no excuse to offer--for he was very ready with his excuses--he
joined them at the family dinner. Audrey never passed such a miserable
evening. She sat opposite him; there was no other guest to break the
awkwardness--only Mr. Blake and her mother and father and herself.

It was the first time she had been compelled to look at him, and she was
painfully struck with the alteration in him. Her father was right; he
certainly looked ill. He was thinner, older, and there were dark lines
under his eyes. Just at that moment Cyril seemed to become aware of her
scrutiny; their eyes met, but it was Audrey who blushed and looked
embarrassed. Cyril did not flinch, only his right hand contracted under
the table-cloth. She played chess with him afterwards. There was no help
for it; Dr. Ross had proposed it. Audrey was so nervous that she played
shamefully, and lost her queen at the third move.

'How stupid of