already been answered. What she wished to make up her mind about was
the nature of his "love"--much abused word! If he intended to marry
Bridget, why not have said so and have done with it? He had the right
to please himself.

His secrecy, his deception, surely signified something base! It was
inconceivable that he had not seen her for three weeks--in the face of
what Carrissima had witnessed half-an-hour ago! Why had Mark gone out
of his way to keep his intercourse with Bridget a secret unless there
was something to be ashamed of? Why had he pretended to feel
satisfied, even pleased, at the news of her intimacy with Jimmy? Why,
above everything, had he recently changed his demeanour towards his
oldest friend?

Carrissima must be pictured as approaching Number 13, Grandison Square
with such thoughts crowding upon her mind, under the influence of the
reaction from her necessary self-control in Bridget's presence. Her
head seemed to be on fire, and, always apt to be impulsive, she had
never in the course of her vast experience of twenty-two years been so
completely carried away as now.

She experienced a deep pang of disappointment on seeing Sybil talking
to Knight on the doorstep.

"Oh, I am so very glad not to have missed you!" cried the for once
unwelcome visitor. "How extremely fortunate you were not a minute
later, because I was just going home."

As a matter of course, without waiting for an invitation, Sybil stepped
into the hall and accompanied Carrissima up-stairs.

"My dear," she exclaimed, as the butler shut the drawing-room door,
"whatever is the matter? You look as if you had seen something
dreadful!"

"What nonsense," said Carrissima. "What can I have seen?"

"I really can't imagine," answered Sybil, with a sigh. "I suppose I
feel so terribly worried myself that I fancy everybody else has
something to bother about. Still, you certainly do look as I have
never seen you before."

"The sun is quite hot," murmured Carrissima, sitting down by one of the
windows.

"Although I always feel it I couldn't stay indoors," said Sybil.
"Jimmy is more and more enthusiastic every day. He won't hear a word
of advice! I have begged and implored him to give Miss Rosser up, but
he insists that he is only going to wait until the end of this week.
To think of Jimmy's throwing himself away!"

"Oh," cried Carrissima, rising impetuously to her feet, "you need not
feel in the least alarmed!"

"But, m