mselves?"

"No, my dear, I don't; not even," Kate declared, "after Milly's so
funnily bumping against us on Tuesday."

"She doesn't see from _that_--?"

"That you're, so to speak, mad about me. Yes, she sees, no doubt, that
you regard me with a complacent eye--for you show it, I think, always
too much and too crudely. But nothing beyond that. I don't show it too
much; I don't perhaps--to please you completely where others are
concerned--show it enough."

"Can you show it or not as you like?" Densher demanded.

It pulled her up a little, but she came out resplendent. "Not where
_you_ are concerned. Beyond seeing that you're rather gone," she went
on, "Milly only sees that I'm decently good to you."

"Very good indeed she must think it!"

"Very good indeed then. She easily sees me," Kate smiled, "as very good
indeed."

The young man brooded. "But in a sense to take some explaining."

"Then I explain." She was really fine; it came back to her essential
plea for her freedom of action and his beauty of trust. "I mean," she
added, "I _will_ explain."

"And what will I do?"

"Recognise the difference it must make if she thinks." But here in
truth Kate faltered. It was his silence alone that, for the moment,
took up her apparent meaning; and before he again spoke she had
returned to remembrance and prudence. They were now not to forget that,
Aunt Maud's liberality having put them on their honour, they mustn't
spoil their case by abusing it. He must leave her in time; they should
probably find it would help them. But she came back to Milly too. "Mind
you go to see her."

Densher still, however, took up nothing of this. "Then I may come
again?"

"For Aunt Maud--as much as you like. But we can't again," said Kate,
"play her _this trick_. I can't see you here alone."

"Then where?"

"Go to see Milly," she for all satisfaction repeated.

"And what good will that do me?"

"Try it and you'll see."

"You mean you'll manage to be there?" Densher asked. "Say you are, how
will that give us privacy?"

"Try it--you'll see," the girl once more returned. "We must manage as
we can."

"That's precisely what _I_ feel. It strikes me we might manage better."
His idea of this was a thing that made him an instant hesitate; yet he
brought it out with conviction. "Why won't you come to _me?_"

It was a question her troubled eyes seemed to tell him he was scarce
generous in expecting her definitely to answer, and by looking