Charmian twisted her lips.

"I don't know. You see, it's all very vague. I should like to be sure
who's going. I think it's very reckless to take any chances on a yacht."

"Claude Heath isn't going."

Charmian raised her eyebrows.

"But has she asked him?"

"Yes. And he's refused. He told me so on Monday."

"You're quite sure he won't go?"

"He said he wasn't going."

Charmian looked lightly doubtful.

"Shall I go?" she said. "Would you mind if I did?"

"Do you really want to?"

"I don't think I care much either way. Why has she asked me?"

"Adelaide? I daresay she likes you. And you wouldn't be unpleasant on a
yacht, would you?"

"That depends, I expect. You'd allow me to go?"

"If I knew who the rest of the party were to be--definitely."

"I won't answer till to-morrow."

Mrs. Mansfield did not feel sure what was Charmian's desire in the
matter. She did not quite understand her child. She wondered, too, why
Mrs. Shiffney had asked Charmian to go on the yacht, why she implied
that Claude Heath might make one of the party when he had refused to go.
It occurred to Mrs. Mansfield that Adelaide might mean to use Charmian
as a lure to draw Heath into the expedition. But, if so, surely she
quite misunderstood the acquaintanceship between them. Heath was
her--Mrs. Mansfield's--friend. How often she had wished that Charmian
and he were more at ease together, liked each other better. It was odd
that Adelaide should fall into such a mistake. And yet what other
meaning could her note have? She wrote as if the question of Heath's
going or not were undecided.

Was it undecided? Did Adelaide, with her piercing and clever eyes, see
more clearly into Heath's nature than Mrs. Mansfield could?

Mrs. Shiffney had an extraordinary capacity for getting what she wanted.
The hidden tragedy of her existence was that she was never satisfied
with what she got. She wanted to draw Claude Heath out of his retirement
into the big current of life by which she and her friends were buoyantly
carried along through changing and brilliant scenes. His refusal had no
doubt hardened a mere caprice into a strong desire. Mrs. Mansfield
realized that Adelaide would not leave Heath alone now. The note to
Charmian showed an intention not abandoned. But why should Adelaide
suppose that Heath's acceptance might be dependent on anything done by
Charmian?

Mrs. Mansfield knew well, and respected, Mrs. Shiffney's haphazard
cleverness, which