cross of
Georgina Gardner, cast aside in impatience of its weight. And then she
tried to reconcile the conflicting accounts of Jane's influence in the
matter, till she thought she was growing uncharitable; and after having
tried in vain to measure the extent of Percy's annoyance, she looked
from the window to see if carriages seemed to be returning from Epsom,
and then with a sigh betook herself to the book Theodora had provided
for her solitude.

She had long to wait. Arthur and his sister came home later than she had
expected, and did not bring the regale of amusing description that they
had promised her.

Arthur was silent and discontented, and went to his smoking-room.
Theodora only said it had been very hot, and for the first time really
looked tired, and owned that she was so. It had been hard work, first
to draw Arthur into Mrs. Finch's party, against which he exerted all his
lazy good-humoured "vis inertia"--undertaking to show her everything,
and explain all to her, be at her service all the day, if only she would
keep away from them and their nonsense. But when their carriage was
found, and Arthur was dragged into the midst of them, a still harder
task arose. She was frightened to see Mark Gardner conversing with him,
while he looked eager and excited, and she hastened to interrupt, put
forth every power of attraction, in the resolve entirely to monopolize
Mr. Gardner; and for a long time, at the expense of severe exertion in
talking nonsense, she succeeded. But some interruption occurred;
she missed Mr. Gardner, she missed Arthur; they were waited for;
she wondered and fretted herself in vain, and at length beheld
them returning in company-heard Mrs. Finch gaily scolding them, and
understood that there had been bets passing!

She called it fatigue, but it was rather blank dread, and the sense that
she had put herself and others in the way of evil.

It was possible that Arthur might have been only a spectator; or,
if not, that he might have known where to stop. He had bought his
experience long ago, at high cost; but Theodora was but too well aware
of his unsteadiness of purpose and facile temper; and in spite of his
resolutions, it was a fearful thing to have seen him in such a place,
in such company, and to know that almost against his own desire she had
conducted him thither for the gratification of her self-will.

Vainly did she strive to banish the thought, and to reassure herself by
his manner. Sh