,
Elfride,' he continued in a stiffer tone, 'you had mixed yourself up so
foolishly with those low people, the Smiths--and it was just, too, when
Mrs. Troyton and myself were beginning to understand each other--that I
resolved to say nothing even to you. How did I know how far you had gone
with them and their son? You might have made a point of taking tea with
them every day, for all that I knew.'

Elfride swallowed her feelings as she best could, and languidly though
flatly asked a question.

'Did you kiss Mrs. Troyton on the lawn about three weeks ago? That
evening I came into the study and found you had just had candles in?'

Mr. Swancourt looked rather red and abashed, as middle-aged lovers are
apt to do when caught in the tricks of younger ones.

'Well, yes; I think I did,' he stammered; 'just to please her, you
know.' And then recovering himself he laughed heartily.

'And was this what your Horatian quotation referred to?'

'It was, Elfride.'

They stepped into the drawing-room from the verandah. At that moment
Mrs. Swancourt came downstairs, and entered the same room by the door.

'Here, Charlotte, is my little Elfride,' said Mr. Swancourt, with the
increased affection of tone often adopted towards relations when newly
produced.

Poor Elfride, not knowing what to do, did nothing at all; but stood
receptive of all that came to her by sight, hearing, and touch.

Mrs. Swancourt moved forward, took her step-daughter's hand, then kissed
her.

'Ah, darling!' she exclaimed good-humouredly, 'you didn't think when you
showed a strange old woman over the conservatory a month or two ago, and
explained the flowers to her so prettily, that she would so soon be here
in new colours. Nor did she, I am sure.'

The new mother had been truthfully enough described by Mr. Swancourt.
She was not physically attractive. She was dark--very dark--in
complexion, portly in figure, and with a plentiful residuum of hair in
the proportion of half a dozen white ones to half a dozen black ones,
though the latter were black indeed. No further observed, she was not a
woman to like. But there was more to see. To the most superficial critic
it was apparent that she made no attempt to disguise her age. She looked
sixty at the first glance, and close acquaintanceship never proved her
older.

Another and still more winning trait was one attaching to the corners
of her mouth. Before she made a remark these often twitched gently: not
bac