nger.

"Wait and see!" she chanted ironically. "Wait and see! If we must
leave the dear country--then _adieu!_" And she gravely bowed to an
imaginary England.

"I feel it's my fault. I feel I ought to go away," cried Alvina, who
was terribly distressed, seeing Madame's glitter and pallor, and the
black brows of the men. Never had Ciccio's brow looked so ominously
black. And Alvina felt it was all her fault. Never had she
experienced such a horrible feeling: as if something repulsive were
creeping on her from behind. Every minute of these weeks was a
horror to her: the sense of the low-down dogs of detectives hanging
round, sliding behind them, trying to get hold of some clear proof
of immorality on their part. And then--the unknown vengeance of the
authorities. All the repulsive secrecy, and all the absolute power
of the police authorities. The sense of a great malevolent power
which had them all the time in its grip, and was watching, feeling,
waiting to strike the morbid blow: the sense of the utter
helplessness of individuals who were not even accused, only watched
and enmeshed! the feeling that they, the Natcha-Kee-Tawaras, herself
included, must be monsters of hideous vice, to have provoked all
this: and yet the sane knowledge that they, none of them, _were_
monsters of vice; this was quite killing. The sight of a policeman
would send up Alvina's heart in a flame of fear, agony; yet she knew
she had nothing legally to be afraid of. Every knock at the door was
horrible.

She simply could not understand it. Yet there it was: they were
watched, followed. Of that there was no question. And all she could
imagine was that the troupe was secretly accused of White Slave
Traffic by somebody in Woodhouse. Probably Mr. May had gone the
round of the benevolent magnates of Woodhouse, concerning himself
with her virtue, and currying favour with his concern. Of this she
became convinced, that it was concern for her virtue which had
started the whole business: and that the first instigator was Mr.
May, who had got round some vulgar magistrate or County Councillor.

Madame did not consider Alvina's view very seriously. She thought it
was some personal malevolence against the Tawaras themselves,
probably put up by some other professionals, with whom Madame was
not popular.

Be that as it may, for some weeks they went about in the shadow of
this repulsive finger which was following after them, to touch them
and destroy them w