hope
that the rival presence of the young girl would act as the spark
that fires the mine, kindling Miss Tancred's emotions and revealing
her to herself?

Meanwhile Miss Tancred's one idea was to make use of him, to hand
over the young girl to him and be rid of her. Her former offer of
the black mare on the condition that he stayed another week appeared
now as a grim jest, a cynical wager. This time she was in earnest.
Whereas, if she had been in love with him----

Weighing these matters in his sensitive brain, Durant conceived a
violent hatred of Mrs. Fazakerly and her plot, together with a
corresponding determination to stay on, if only to prove to that
ingenious lady that she was hopelessly mistaken. Any hasty movement
on his part would but confirm her in her absurd suspicions, while
his actual flight would be the most flattering testimony to the
profundity of her insight. He was not going to behave like the
victim to a desperate infatuation for Miss Tancred. He would stay
on, and Mrs. Fazakerly would see that nothing came of her
psychological intrigue.

How far the Colonel was her accomplice he had no idea. The old
fellow was a gentleman when all was said and done, and it was more
than likely that he contented himself with a gentlemanly
acquiescence. His dignity might possibly not refuse to draw a profit
either way from the transaction. Durant could reckon on Miss
Tancred, having returned to his original opinion of her. There was
not enough womanhood in her for ordinary elemental jealousy; as for
passion, he had decided that she was as innocent of understanding as
she was incapable of inspiring it. A sentimental coxcomb might beat
a precipitate retreat because he thought or fancied that his hostess
was in love with him, and he would probably call his ridiculous
conduct chivalry; it was more becoming in a gentleman to ignore the
painful circumstance. For all these reasons he determined to stay.

His acceptance of their renewed invitation gave evident pleasure to
the Colonel and Miss Tancred and very little annoyance to himself.
He had grown used to Coton Manor as a prisoner grows used to his
cell. He had, as he had feared, tied himself to the place by
beginning serious work in it. He was too well pleased with his
landscape studies of the neighborhood to leave them unfinished; and,
as it happened, he had plenty of time to give to them, for the
Colonel was pretty constantly engaged with Mrs. Fazakerly. (Here
aga