it."

The season died, and Mr. Darlington then settled down for a while at
Pinkney's Place, as his house was called, and persuaded Mrs. Clarke to
lengthen her stay there till the end of August. He would invite a few of
the people likely to "be of use" to her under the present circumstances,
and by September things would be "dying down a little," with all the
shooting parties of the autumn beginning, and memories of the past
season growing a bit gray and moldy. Then Mrs. Clarke could do what she
liked "within reason, of course, and provided she gave Constantinople
a wide berth." This she had not promised to do, but she seldom made
promises.

Rosamund had expressed to Daventry her pleasure in the result of the
trial, but in the rather definitely detached manner which had always
marked her personal aloofness from the whole business of the deciding of
Mrs. Clarke's innocence or guilt. She had only spoken once again of the
case to Dion, when he had come to tell her the verdict. Then she had
said how glad she was, and what a relief it must be to Mrs. Clarke,
especially after the hesitation of the jury. Dion had touched on Mrs.
Clarke's great self-possession, and--Rosamund had begun to tell him
how much better little Robin was. He had not repeated to Rosamund Mrs.
Clarke's final words to him. There was no necessity to do that just
then.

Mrs. Clarke stayed at Hook Green till the end of August without
making any attempt to know Rosamund. By that time Dion had come to the
conclusion that she had forgotten about the matter. Perhaps she had
merely had a passing whim which had died. He was not sorry, indeed, he
was almost actively glad, for he was quite sure Rosamund had no wish to
make Mrs. Clarke's acquaintance. At the beginning of September, however,
when he had just come back to work after a month in camp which had
hardened him and made him as brown as a berry, he received the following
note:

"CLARIDGE'S HOTEL, 2 September, 1897

"DEAR Mr. LEITH,--What of that charming project of bringing about a
meeting between your wife and me? Esme Darlington is always talking of
her beauty and talent, and you know my love of the one and the other.
Beauty is the consolation of the world; talent the incentive to action
stirring our latent vitality. In your marriage you are fortunate; in
mine I have been unfortunate. You were very kind to me when things were
tiresome. I feel a desire to see your happiness. I'm here arranging
matters