considerable extent,
out of her possession before it had been asked for. No, her difference
with Lionel Beauchamp was not to be passed over so lightly as all that.
If he could refuse the slight request that she had made him, he could
care very little about her. "As if any man, honestly in love, would
hesitate to break a mere promise made to another woman!" And to the
best of my belief, the majority of her sex would be quite of Blanche's
opinion.

"He does not get up," thought Mrs. Wriothesley, as she drove home from
Hurlingham. "Yes, Sylla, my dear, you have told me something to-day
that I honestly don't believe you knew yourself before. When accidents
happen in the plural, and young ladies remark upon them only in the
singular number, it is a sign of absorbing interest in somebody
concerned. People generally, I think, would have observed, 'They don't
get up.'" But Mrs. Wriothesley wisely kept all these reflections to
herself.

CHAPTER X.

MRS. WRIOTHESLEY'S LITTLE DINNER.

The accident at Hurlingham had opened Sylla's eyes. She became
conscious of what her feeling for Jim Bloxam was fast ripening into.
It made her thoughtful. She was suddenly aware that she cared
considerably more about him than it was wise that a maiden should for
any man not her avowed lover. She was a good deal startled by the
discovery; for had she asked herself the question previous to seeing
him stretched, as she thought, badly hurt, or perhaps even killed, on
the grass at that polo match, she would have answered, as she believed
truthfully, that she liked Captain Bloxam very much: he was a very
pleasant acquaintance; but as to his being anything more to her, she
would have scouted the idea. She knew now that he was more to her than
that, and Sylla pondered gravely upon what was her best course to
pursue. One thing was quite clear, and that was, a previous intention
of hers must be abandoned. She accordingly dispatched a note to Lionel
Beauchamp, telling him that he need take no further trouble about her
commission, which elicited a speedy reply to the effect that it was
already executed.

One result of Sylla's discovery of the state of her feelings towards
Captain Bloxam was a strong desire to cultivate her acquaintance with
his mother and sister. She got on fairly with Blanche down at
Todborough, but was quite aware that she was no favourite with Lady
Mary. It most certainly was not because she fancied this would giv