nfession, to
make it plain that her allusion was to Mr. Merton Densher. This was
because Milly had at first a little air of not knowing whom she meant;
and the girl really kept, as well, a certain control of herself while
she remarked that the case was surprising, the chance one in a
thousand. They knew him, both Maud and Miss Croy knew him, she gathered
too, rather well, though indeed it was not on any show of intimacy that
he had happened to be mentioned. It had not been--Susie made the
point--she herself who brought him in: he had in fact not been brought
in at all, but only referred to as a young journalist known to Mrs.
Lowder and who had lately gone to their wonderful country--Mrs. Lowder
always said "your wonderful country"--on behalf of his journal. But
Mrs. Stringham had taken it up--with the tips of her fingers indeed;
and that was the confession: she had, without meaning any harm,
recognised Mr. Densher as an acquaintance of Milly's, though she had
also pulled herself up before getting in too far. Mrs. Lowder had been
struck, clearly--it wasn't too much to say; then she also, it had
rather seemed, had pulled herself up; and there had been a little
moment during which each might have been keeping something from the
other. "Only," said Milly's mate, "I luckily remembered in time that I
had nothing whatever to keep--which was much simpler and nicer. I don't
know what Maud has, but there it is. She was interested, distinctly, in
your knowing him--in his having met you over there with so little loss
of time. But I ventured to tell her it hadn't been so long as to make
you as yet great friends. I don't know if I was right."

Whatever time this explanation might have taken, there had been moments
enough in the matter now--before the elder woman's conscience had done
itself justice--to enable Milly to reply that although the fact in
question doubtless had its importance she imagined they wouldn't find
the importance overwhelming. It _was_ odd that their one Englishman
should so instantly fit; it wasn't, however, miraculous--they surely
all had often seen that, as every one said, the world was
extraordinarily "small." Undoubtedly, too, Susie had done just the
plain thing in not letting his name pass. Why in the world should there
be a mystery?--and what an immense one they would appear to have made
if he should come back and find they had concealed their knowledge of
him! "I don't know, Susie dear," the girl observed,