? You can stare for ever without pinching your nose or
gouging your next door neighbour's eye out with your elbow--Oh yes,
rather; he's a friend of Horace Jewdwine's. Do observe Tubs bathing;
his figure is not adapted--Did you say a gentleman? Yes, no, yes; ask
somebody else. It entirely depends on the point of view. He's an
awfully good sort. _Really_, Tubs ought to be made to bathe before
breakfast, when there's nobody about. Yes, of course she did. She gave
him the work to please Mr. Jewdwine, I suppose. He's been ill, poor
little beggar; I must go and speak to him."

After having thus first harried, then effectually baffled the enemy,
Miss Palliser started with a swinging stride in pursuit of Mr.
Rickman. He sat alone in an attitude of extreme dejection, on the
stones of an unfinished and forsaken jetty that marked the farthest
western limit of the esplanade. Having turned his back on that public
rendezvous, he was unaware of Miss Palliser's approach until she stood
beside him.

"Glad to see you out again," said she.

He sprang to his feet and raised his hat. At the first sight of his
face Miss Palliser had a shrewd idea of the cause and nature of his
illness.

"Thank you so much for your kind messages. I'm all right again, as you
see."

"I see nothing of the sort, as yet." She had meant to tell him that it
was Lucia who had sent her to inquire; but she thought better of it.

"Oh, well, I ought to get round in this bracing air."

"Harmouth air," said Kitty, "is not particularly bracing. In fact it's
very relaxing. It probably helped you to break down."

"Well, I shall be out of it soon, anyway." He sighed. "Miss Palliser,
can you tell me if Miss Harden has come back?"

"She came back the day before yesterday."

"Have you seen her?"

"Yes, I've seen her."

There was a long pause, filled by the insistent clamour of the sea.
His next question was less audible to the outer than to the inner ear.

"How is she?"

Miss Palliser was seldom at a loss for a word; but this time she
hesitated. "She--she is very plucky."

There was another and a longer pause in which neither had the courage
to look at the other.

"Can I--Would it be possible for me to see her?"

Miss Palliser did not answer.

"I wouldn't dream of asking her, except that I've got something on my
mind."

"And she--my dear man, she's got everything on her mind."

"I know. I--I want to see her on business."

Miss Palliser's lithe figure