d.

'A fright! Not at all. A good example of the modern literary girl. I
suppose you have the oddest old-fashioned ideas of such people. No,
I rather like the look of her. Simpatica, I should think, as that ass
Whelpdale would say. A very delicate, pure complexion, though morbid;
nice eyes; figure not spoilt yet. But of course I may be wrong about
their identity.'

Later in the afternoon Jasper's conjecture was rendered a certainty.
Maud had walked to Wattleborough, where she would meet Dora on the
latter's return from her teaching, and Mrs Milvain sat alone, in a
mood of depression; there was a ring at the door-bell, and the servant
admitted Miss Harrow.

This lady acted as housekeeper to Mr John Yule, a wealthy resident in
this neighbourhood; she was the sister of his deceased wife--a thin,
soft-speaking, kindly woman of forty-five. The greater part of her life
she had spent as a governess; her position now was more agreeable, and
the removal of her anxiety about the future had developed qualities of
cheerfulness which formerly no one would have suspected her to possess.
The acquaintance between Mrs Milvain and her was only of twelve months'
standing; prior to that, Mr Yule had inhabited a house at the end of
Wattleborough remote from Finden.

'Our London visitors came yesterday,' she began by saying.

Mrs Milvain mentioned her son's encounter an hour or two ago.

'No doubt it was they,' said the visitor. 'Mrs Yule hasn't come; I
hardly expected she would, you know. So very unfortunate when there are
difficulties of that kind, isn't it?'

She smiled confidentially.

'The poor girl must feel it,' said Mrs Milvain.

'I'm afraid she does. Of course it narrows the circle of her friends at
home. She's a sweet girl, and I should so like you to meet her. Do come
and have tea with us to-morrow afternoon, will you? Or would it be too
much for you just now?'

'Will you let the girls call? And then perhaps Miss Yule will be so good
as to come and see me?'

'I wonder whether Mr Milvain would like to meet her father? I have
thought that perhaps it might be some advantage to him. Alfred is so
closely connected with literary people, you know.'

'I feel sure he would be glad,' replied Mrs Milvain. 'But--what of
Jasper's friendship with Mrs Edmund Yule and the Reardons? Mightn't it
be a little awkward?'

'Oh, I don't think so, unless he himself felt it so. There would be no
need to mention that, I should say. And, rea