ternoon, and had
noticed how the news had worn on her. She felt how much better it had
been had Frank come quietly home and married her, instead of doing the
wild, scandalous thing that was making so many heart-burnings. A few
minutes ago she had longed for a chance to say something delicately acid
to Lady Haldwell, once Julia Sherwood, who was there. Now there was a
chance to give her bitter spirit tongue. She was glad--she dared not
think how glad--to hear that voice again; but she was angry too, and he
should suffer for it--the more so because she recognised in the tone,
and afterwards in his face, that he was still absorbingly interested in
her. There was a little burst of thanksgiving in her heart, and then she
prepared a very notable commination service in her mind.

This meeting had been deftly arranged by Mrs. Townley, with the help
of Edward Lambert, who now held her fingers with a kind of vanity of
possession whenever he bade her good-bye or met her. Captain Vidall had,
in fact, been out of the country, had only been back a week, and had
only heard of Frank Armour's mesalliance from Lambert at an At Home
forty-eight hours before. Mrs. Townley guessed what was really at the
bottom of Marion's occasional bitterness, and, piecing together many
little things dropped casually by her friend, had come to the conclusion
that the happiness of two people was at stake.

When Marion shook hands with Captain Vidall she had herself exceedingly
well under control. She looked at him in slight surprise, and casually
remarked that they had not chanced to meet lately in the run of
small-and-earlies. She appeared to be unconscious that he had been out
of the country, and also that she had been till very recently indeed at
Greyhope. He hastened to assure her that he had been away, and to lay
siege to this unexpected barrier. He knew all about Frank's affair, and,
though it troubled him, he did not see why it should make any difference
in his regard for Frank's sister. Fastidious as he was in all things, he
was fastidiously deferential. Not an exquisite, he had all that vanity
as to appearance so usual with the military man; himself of the
most perfect temper and sweetness of manner and conduct, the unusual
disturbed him. Not possessed of a vivid imagination, he could scarcely
conjure up this Indian bride at Greyhope.

But face to face with Marion Armour he saw what troubled his mind,
and he determined he would not meet her irony