, and unable to bear
the suspense of waiting till Withers had answered it, she hurried into
the house to open the door herself. Was the news of the engagement
coming to her at last? Late though it was, she would welcome it even
now, for it would atone, in part at any rate.... It was Diva.

"Diva dear!" said Miss Mapp enthusiastically, for Withers was already in
the hall. "How sweet of you to come round. Anything special?"

"Yes," said Diva, opening her eyes very wide, and spreading a shower of
moisture as she whisked off her mackintosh. "She's come."

This could not refer to Susan....

"Who?" asked Miss Mapp.

"Faradiddleony," said Diva.

"No!" said Miss Mapp very loud, so much interested that she quite forgot
to resent Diva's being the first to have the news. "Let's have a
comfortable cup of tea in the garden-room. Tea, Withers."

Miss Mapp lit the candles there, for, lost in meditation, she had been
sitting in the dark, and with reckless hospitality poked the fire to
make it blaze.

"Tell me all about it," she said. That would be a treat for Diva, who
was such a gossip.

"Went to the station just now," said Diva. "Wanted a new time-table.
Besides the Royce had just gone down. Mr. Wyse and Susan on the
platform."

"Sables?" asked Miss Mapp parenthetically, to complete the picture.

"Swaddled. Talked to them. Train came in. Woman got out. Kissed Mr.
Wyse. Shook hands with Susan. Both hands. While luggage was got out."

"Much?" asked Miss Mapp quickly.

"Hundreds. Covered with coronets and Fs. Two cabs."

Miss Mapp's mind, on a hot scent, went back to the previous telegraphic
utterance.

"Both hands did you say, dear?" she asked. "Perhaps that's the Italian
fashion."

"Maybe. Then what else do you think? Faradiddleony kissed Susan! Mr.
Wyse and she must be engaged. I can't account for it any other way. He
must have written to tell his sister. Couldn't have told her then at the
station. Must have been engaged some days and we never knew. They went
to look at the orchid. Remember? That was when."

It was bitter, no doubt, but the bitterness could be transmuted into an
amazing sweetness.

"Then now I can speak," said Miss Mapp with a sigh of great relief. "Oh,
it has been so hard keeping silence, but I felt I ought to. I knew all
along, Diva dear, all, all along."

"How?" asked Diva with a fallen crest.

Miss Mapp laughed merrily.

"I looked out of the window, dear, while you went for your hanky