one cliff.' It
had been associated in that scene with showy knickerbockers; at
present it overflowed more splendidly into a fur-trimmed overcoat. Lord
Iffield's presence made me waver an instant before crossing over; and
during that instant Flora, blank and undistinguishing, as if she too
were after all weary of alternatives, looked straight across at me. I
was on the point of raising my hat to her when I observed that her face
gave no sign. I was exactly in the line of her vision, but she either
didn't see me or didn't recognise me, or else had a reason to pretend
she didn't. Was her reason that I had displeased her and that she wished
to punish me? I had always thought it one of her merits that she wasn't
vindictive. She at any rate simply looked away; and at this moment one
of the shop-girls, who had apparently gone off in search of it, bustled
up to her with a small mechanical toy. It so happened that I followed
closely what then took place, afterwards recognising that I had been led
to do so, led even through the crowd to press nearer for the purpose, by
an impression of which in the act I was not fully conscious.

Flora, with the toy in her hand, looked round at her companion; then
seeing his attention had been solicited in another quarter she moved
away with the shop-girl, who had evidently offered to conduct her into
the presence of more objects of the same sort. When she reached the
indicated spot I was in a position still to observe her. She had asked
some question about the working of the toy, and the girl, taking it
herself, began to explain the little secret. Flora bent her head over
it, but she clearly didn't understand. I saw her, in a manner that
quickened my curiosity, give a glance back at the place from which
she had come. Lord Iffield was talking with another young person: she
satisfied herself of this by the aid of a question addressed to her own
attendant. She then drew closer to the table near which she stood and,
turning her back to me, bent her head lower over the collection of toys
and more particularly over the small object the girl had attempted
to explain. She took it back and, after a moment, with her face well
averted, made an odd motion of her arms and a significant little duck of
her head. These slight signs, singular as it may appear, produced in
my bosom an agitation so great that I failed to notice Lord Iffield's
whereabouts. He had rejoined her; he was close upon her before I knew it