ly, exultantly, she
reminded herself how much she knew of them. If he could not have her
sympathy, he must have her antagonism. But no chilling exclusions and
reserves! Rather, a generous confidence on his side; and a gradual, a
child-like melting and kindling on hers. In politics she would never
agree with him--never!--she would fight him with all her breath and
strength. But not with the methods of Mrs. Fotheringham. No!--what have
politics to do with--with--

She dropped her face in her hands, laughing to herself, the delicious
tremors of first love running through her. Would she hear from him? She
understood she was to be written to, though she had never asked it. But
ought she to allow it? Was it _convenable_? She knew that girls now did
what they liked--threw all the old rules overboard. But--proudly--she
stood by the old rules; she would do nothing "fast" or forward. Yet she
was an orphan--standing alone; surely for her there might be more
freedom than for others?

She hurried home. With the rush of new happiness had come back the old
pity, the old yearning. It wasn't, wasn't Fanny's fault! She--Diana--had
always understood that Mr. Merton was a vulgar, grasping man of no
breeding who had somehow entrapped "your aunt Bertha--who was very
foolish and very young"--into a most undesirable marriage. As for Mrs.
Merton--Aunt Bertha--Fanny had with her many photographs, among them
several of her mother. A weak, heavy face, rather pretty still. Diana
had sought her own mother in it, with a passionate yet shrinking
curiosity, only to provoke a rather curt reply from Fanny, in answer to
a question she had, with difficulty, brought herself to put:

"Not a bit! There wasn't a scrap of likeness between mother and Aunt
Sparling."

* * * * *

The evening passed off better than the morning had done. Eyes more acute
in her own interests than Diana's might have perceived a change in Fanny
Merton, after her long conversation with Mrs. Colwood. A certain
excitement, a certain triumph, perhaps an occasional relenting and
compunction: all these might have been observed or guessed. She made
herself quite amiable: showed more photographs, talked still more
frankly of her card-winnings on the steamer, and of the flirtation which
had beguiled the voyage; bespoke the immediate services of Diana's maid
for a dress that must be done up; and expressed a desire for another and
a bigger wardrobe in her room