at Stalham if he had been there. It surprised me so much
that I could not think that he meant it in earnest. We
never hardly spoke to each other when we were in the house
together.

Perhaps, if you don't mind, and I shan't be in the way,

--here she began to display the little plan which she had made for
her own protection,--

I will come down by an earlier train than you mention.
There is one at 2.15, and then I need not be in the dark
all the way. You need not say anything about this to
Colonel Stubbs, because I do not at all mind travelling by
myself.--Yours affectionately,

AYALA.

This was her little plan. But she was very innocent when she thought
that Lady Albury would be blind to such a scheme as that. She got
three words from Lady Albury, saying that the 2.15 train would do
very well, and that the carriage would be at the station to meet her.
Lady Albury did not also say in her note that she had communicated
with Colonel Stubbs on the subject, and informed him that he must
come up from Aldershot earlier than he intended in order that he
might adapt himself to Ayala's whims. "Foolish little child," said
Lady Albury to herself! "As if that would make any difference!" It
was clear to Lady Albury that Ayala must surrender now that she was
coming to Stalham a second time, knowing that the Colonel would be
there.

CHAPTER XLVI.

AYALA GOES AGAIN TO STALHAM.

The correspondence between Lady Albury and Colonel Stubbs was close
and frequent, the friendship between them being very close. Ayala had
sometimes asked herself why Lady Albury should have been so kind and
affectionate to her, and had failed to find any sufficient answer.
She had been asked to Stalham at first,--so far as she knew,--because
she had been intimate at Rome with the Marchesa Baldoni. Hence had
apparently risen Lady Albury's great friendship, which had seemed
even to herself to be strange. But in truth the Marchesa had had very
little to do with it,--nor had Lady Albury become attached to Ayala
for Ayala's own sake. To Lady Albury Colonel Stubbs was,--as she
declared to herself very often,--"her own real brother." She had
married a man very rich, well known in the world, whom she loved very
well; and she was not a woman who in such a position would allow
herself to love another man. That there might certainly be no danger
of this kind she was continually impressing on her friend the
expediency