rve of her ordinary manner, were deplorably interfered with, indeed,
by the advent of this lovely, neglected child, who on her side had fallen
passionately in love with Victoria at first sight and seemed to be now
rarely happy out of her company.

After which digression we may return for a moment to Felicia on the
loggia, admiring her new shoes.

From that passing ecstasy, she emerged resolved.

"We will stay here till Christmas--and--"

But on the rest of her purpose she shut her small lips firmly. Before
she turned indoors, however, she gave some attention to the course of a
white road in the middle distance, on which she had travelled with Lord
Tatham the day he had taken her to Green Cottage. The cottage where the
yellow-haired girl lived lay beyond that nearer hill. Ah! but nobody
spoke of that yellow-haired girl now. Nobody sent flowers or books.
Nobody so much as mentioned her name. It was strange--but singularly
pleasing. Felicia raised herself triumphantly on tiptoe, as though she
would peer over the hill into the cottage; and so see for herself how the
Signorina Penfold took this sudden and complete neglect.

Tatham returned from London the following day, bringing Cyril Boden--who
was again on the sick list--with him.

He arrived full of plans for the discomfiture of Melrose, only to be
brought up irrevocably against the stubborn resolve which Netta, wrapped
in an irritable and tearful melancholy, opposed to them all. She would
not hear of the legal proceedings he urged upon her; and it was only on
an assurance that nothing could or would be done without her consent,
coupled with a good report of her father, that she at last consented to
stay at Duddon till the New Year, so that further ways of helping her
might be discussed.

Felicia, when the thing was settled, danced about Victoria's room, kissed
her mother and ran off at once, with Victoria's permission, to ask the
old coachman who ruled the Duddon stables to give her riding-lessons.
Victoria noticed that she carefully avoided consulting Tatham in any way
about her lessons. Indeed the earlier, half-childish, half-audacious
efforts she had made to attract his attention entirely ceased about this
time.

And he, as soon as it was evident that Mrs. Melrose would not take
his advice, and that legal proceedings must be renounced, felt a
natural slackening of interest in his mother's guests. He was perfectly
kind and polite to them but Netta's cowardice