unconsciousness to her. Moreover, with the inconsistency of a man in
his plight, he resented it. To sit thus, almost touching him, gazing
freely into his face, and yet to be in complete ignorance of suffering
which racked him, seemed incompatible with fine qualities either of
heart or mind. What rubbish was talked about woman's insight, about her
delicate sympathies!

"Mrs. Spence is very sorry not to see you occasionally, Mr. Mallard."

It was Miriam who spoke. Mallard was watching Cecily, and now, on
turning his head, he felt sure that Mrs. Baske had been observant of
his countenance. Her eyes fell whilst he was seeking words for a reply.

"I shall call to see her to-morrow morning," he said, "just to say
good-bye for a time."

"You really go to-morrow?" asked Cecily, with interest, but nothing
more.

"Yes. I hope to see Mrs. Lessingham for a moment also. Can you tell me
when she is likely to be at home?"

"Certainly between two and three, if you could come then."

He waited a little, then looked unexpectedly at Miriam. Again her eyes
were fixed on him, and again they fell with something of consciousness.
Did _she_, perchance, understand him?

His speculations concerning Cecily became comparative. In point of age,
the distance between Cecily and Miriam was of some importance; the fact
that the elder had been a married woman was of still more account. On
the first day of his meeting with Mrs. Baske, he had thought a good
deal about her; since then she had slipped from his mind, but now he
felt his interest reviving. Surely she was as remote from him as a
woman well could be, yet his attitude towards her had no character of
intolerance; he half wished that he could form a closer acquaintance
with her. At present, the thought of calm conversation with such a
woman made a soothing contrast to the riot excited in him by Cecily.
Did she read his mind? For one thing, it was not impossible that the
Spences had spoken freely in her presence of himself and his odd
relations to the girl; there was no doubting how _they_ regarded him.
Possibly he was a frequent subject of discussion between Eleanor and
her cousin. Mature women could talk with each other freely of these
things.

On the other hand, whatever Mrs. Lessingham might have in her mind, she
certainly would not expose it in dialogue with her niece. Cecily was in
an unusual position for a girl of her age; she had, he believed, no
intimate friend; at all events, s