d, and, to his utter bewilderment, the sound of her voice now,
in animated converse with Lord Henry, seemed to leave Cleopatra entirely
unperturbed.

Had Cleopatra hopes?

Truth to tell, Cleopatra had more than hopes; she was partially
convinced that these were confirmed. She could be affable to Denis, she
could be kind to Leonetta,--aye, she could even have embraced her worst
tormentor now, and with sincere friendship, because she was supremely
and profoundly happy. Even if Lord Henry did not feel anything for
her,--and his extraordinary behaviour rather invalidated that
alternative,--she had at least encountered a man who rose to the
standard of her girlhood's ideal, who made her feel that hitherto she
had not been wrong in experiencing a faint feeling of dissatisfaction
about the other men she had met, and who therefore consoled her for
having waited. And, with this conviction in her heart, she was able at
once to classify Denis Malster among the "impossibles." She saw now how
much more her recent trouble had been the outcome of wounded vanity,
than of thwarted passion, and she was able to treat her former admirer
with a lavish good humour and friendliness that completely froze him.

She too caught snatches of the conversation behind. She heard how
animated and hilarious it was. And, comparing it with Lord Henry's
attitude not thirty minutes previously, she felt convinced that it was
she this time, and not her sister, who had conquered. As she came to
this conclusion, a strange thrill, utterly new and inexperienced
theretofore, pervaded her whole body, until the titillation of her
nerves became almost painful, and a fierce longing for the bewildering
personality at her back suddenly possessed her as a conscious and
uncontrollable desire.

When they were half-way out of the wood Leonetta suddenly announced that
she had dropped a bangle. She and Lord Henry had been losing ground for
some time, and having separated themselves from Mrs. Tribe and Guy
Tyrrell, had fallen much to the rear.

"Are you sure you had it with you?"

"Absolutely certain," she exclaimed.

"Let's go back then," said Lord Henry.

They turned and began to retrace their steps along the path that led
back to Sandlewood village, keeping their eyes on the ground as they
went.

Suddenly a cry from Guy made them stop.

"What are you two up to?" he shouted. "You'll be late for lunch."

"All right, you go back and tell them to start without us!