enightedly supposed the only way; she wasn't even aggressively so, but
rather indifferently, defensively and, as might be said, by the habit
of anticipation. She simplified in advance, was beforehand with her
doubts, and knew with singular quickness what she wasn't, as they said
in New York, going to like. In that way at least people were clearly
quicker in England than at home; and Milly could quite see, after a
little, how such instincts might become usual in a world in which
dangers abounded. There were more dangers, clearly, round about
Lancaster Gate than one suspected in New York or could dream of in
Boston. At all events, with more sense of them, there were more
precautions, and it was a remarkable world altogether in which there
could be precautions, on whatever ground, against Susie.

IX

She certainly made up with Susie directly, however, for any allowance
she might have had privately to extend to tepid appreciation; since the
late and long talks of these two embraced not only everything offered
and suggested by the hours they spent apart, but a good deal more
besides. She might be as detached as the occasion required at four
o'clock in the afternoon, but she used no such freedom to any one about
anything as she habitually used about everything to Susan Shepherd at
midnight. All the same, it should with much less delay than this have
been mentioned, she had not yet--had not, that is, at the end of six
days--produced any news for her comrade to compare with an announcement
made her by the latter as a result of a drive with Mrs. Lowder, for a
change, in the remarkable Battersea Park. The elder friends had
sociably revolved there while the younger ones followed bolder fancies
in the admirable equipage appointed to Milly at the hotel--a heavier,
more emblazoned, more amusing chariot than she had ever, with "stables"
notoriously mismanaged, known at home; whereby, in the course of the
circuit, more than once repeated, it had "come out," as Mrs. Stringham
said, that the couple at Lancaster Gate were, of all people, acquainted
with Mildred's other English friend--the gentleman, the one connected
with the English newspaper (Susie hung fire a little over his name) who
had been with her in New York so shortly previous to present
adventures. He had been named of course in Battersea Park--else he
couldn't have been identified; and Susie had naturally, before she
could produce her own share in the matter as a kind of co