第7章

"TheDuchessadmiresherimmensely:I’msureshe’dbecharmedtohaveitarranged，"LordHubertagreed，withtheprofessionalpromptnessofthemanaccustomedtodrawhisprofitfromfacilitatingsocialcontacts:Seldenwasstruckbythebusinesslikechangeinhismanner。

"Lilyhasbeenatremendoussuccesshere，"Mrs。Fishercontinued，stilladdressingherselfconfidentiallytoSelden。"Shelookstenyearsyounger——Ineversawhersohandsome。LadySkiddawtookhereverywhereinCannes，andtheCrownPrincessofMacedoniahadhertostopforaweekatCimiez。PeoplesaythatwasonereasonwhyBerthawhiskedtheyachtofftoSicily:theCrownPrincessdidn’ttakemuchnoticeofher，andshecouldn’tbeartolookonatLily’striumph。"

Seldenmadenoreply。HewasvaguelyawarethatMissBartwascruisingintheMediterraneanwiththeDorsets，butithadnotoccurredtohimthattherewasanychanceofrunningacrossherontheRiviera，wheretheseasonwasvirtuallyatanend。Asheleanedback，silentlycontemplatinghisfiligreecupofTurkishcoffee，hewastryingtoputsomeorderinhisthoughts，totellhimselfhowthenewsofhernearnesswasreallyaffectinghim。Hehadapersonaldetachmentenablinghim，eveninmomentsofemotionalhigh-pressure，togetafairlyclearviewofhisfeelings，andhewassincerelysurprisedbythedisturbancewhichthesightoftheSabrinahadproducedinhim。Hehadreasontothinkthathisthreemonthsofengrossingprofessionalwork，followingonthesharpshockofhisdisillusionment，hadclearedhismindofitssentimentalvapours。Thefeelinghehadnourishedandgivenprominencetowasoneofthankfulnessforhisescape:

hewaslikeatravellersogratefulforrescuefromadangerousaccidentthatatfirstheishardlyconsciousofhisbruises。Nowhesuddenlyfeltthelatentache，andrealizedthatafterallhehadnotcomeoffunhurt。

Anhourlater，atMrs。Fisher’ssideintheCasinogardens，hewastryingtofindfreshreasonsforforgettingtheinjuryreceivedinthecontemplationoftheperilavoided。ThepartyhaddispersedwiththeloiteringindecisioncharacteristicofsocialmovementsatMonteCarlo，wherethewholeplace，andthelonggildedhoursoftheday，seemtoofferaninfinityofwaysofbeingidle。LordHubertDaceyhadfinallygoneoffinquestoftheDuchessofBeltshire，chargedbyMrs。Brywiththedelicatenegotiationofsecuringthatlady’spresenceatdinner，theStepneyshadleftforNiceintheirmotor-car，andMr。Bryhaddepartedtotakehisplaceinthepigeonshootingmatchwhichwasatthemomentengaginghishighestfaculties。

Mrs。Bry，whohadatendencytogrowredandstertorousafterluncheon，hadbeenjudiciouslyprevaileduponbyCarryFishertowithdrawtoherhotelforanhour’srepose；andSeldenandhiscompanionwerethuslefttoastrollpropitioustoconfidences。ThestrollsoonresolveditselfintoatranquilsessiononabenchoverhungwithlaurelandBanksianroses，fromwhichtheycaughtadazzleofblueseabetweenmarblebalusters，andthefieryshaftsofcactus-blossomsshootingmeteor-likefromtherock。Thesoftshadeoftheirniche，andtheadjacentglitteroftheair，wereconducivetoaneasyloungingmood，andtothesmokingofmanycigarettes；andSelden，yieldingtotheseinfluences，sufferedMrs。Fishertounfoldtohimthehistoryofherrecentexperiences。ShehadcomeabroadwiththeWellyBrysatthemomentwhenfashionfleestheinclemencyoftheNewYorkspring。TheBrys，intoxicatedbytheirfirstsuccess，alreadythirstedfornewkingdoms，andMrs。Fisher，viewingtheRivieraasaneasyintroductiontoLondonsociety，hadguidedtheircoursethither。Shehadaffiliationsofherownineverycapital，andafacilityforpickingthemupagainafterlongabsences；andthecarefullydisseminatedrumouroftheBrys’wealthhadatoncegatheredaboutthemagroupofcosmopolitanpleasure-seekers。

"ButthingsarenotgoingaswellasIexpected，"Mrs。Fisherfranklyadmitted。"It’sallverywelltosaythateverybodywithmoneycangetintosociety；butitwouldbetruertosaythatNEARLYeverybodycan。AndtheLondonmarketissogluttedwithnewAmericansthat，tosucceedtherenow，theymustbeeitherverycleverorawfullyqueer。TheBrysareneither。HEwouldgetonwellenoughifshe’dlethimalone；theylikehisslangandhisbragandhisblunders。ButLouisaspoilsitallbytryingtorepresshimandputherselfforward。Ifshe’dbenaturalherself——fatandvulgarandbouncing——itwouldbeallright；butassoonasshemeetsanybodysmartshetriestobeslenderandqueenly。ShetrieditwiththeDuchessofBeltshireandLadySkiddaw，andtheyfled。I’vedonemybesttomakeherseehermistake——I’vesaidtoheragainandagain:’Justletyourselfgo，Louisa’；butshekeepsupthehumbugevenwithme——Ibelieveshekeepsonbeingqueenlyinherownroom，withthedoorshut。

"Theworstofitis，"Mrs。Fisherwenton，"thatshethinksit’sallMYfault。WhentheDorsetsturnedupheresixweeksago，andeverybodybegantomakeafussaboutLilyBart，IcouldseeLouisathoughtthatifshe’dhadLilyintowinsteadofmeshewouldhavebeenhob-nobbingwithalltheroyaltiesbythistime。Shedoesn’trealizethatit’sLily’sbeautythatdoesit:

LordHuberttellsmeLilyisthoughtevenhandsomerthanwhenheknewheratAixtenyearsago。Itseemsshewastremendouslyadmiredthere。AnItalianPrince，richandtherealthing，wantedtomarryher；butjustatthecriticalmomentagood-lookingstep-sonturnedup，andLilywassillyenoughtoflirtwithhimwhilehermarriage-settlementswiththestep-fatherwerebeingdrawnup。Somepeoplesaidtheyoungmandiditonpurpose。Youcanfancythescandal:therewasanawfulrowbetweenthemen，andpeoplebegantolookatLilysoqueerlythatMrs。Penistonhadtopackupandfinishhercureelsewhere。NotthatSHEeverunderstood:tothisdayshethinksthatAixdidn’tsuither，andmentionsherhavingbeensentthereasproofoftheincompetenceofFrenchdoctors。That’sLilyallover，youknow:sheworkslikeaslavepreparingthegroundandsowingherseed；butthedaysheoughttobereapingtheharvestsheover-sleepsherselforgoesoffonapicnic。"

Mrs。Fisherpausedandlookedreflectivelyatthedeepshimmerofseabetweenthecactus-flowers。"Sometimes，"sheadded，"Ithinkit’sjustflightiness——andsometimesIthinkit’sbecause，atheart，shedespisesthethingsshe’stryingfor。Andit’sthedifficultyofdecidingthatmakeshersuchaninterestingstudy。"

SheglancedtentativelyatSelden’smotionlessprofile，andresumedwithaslightsigh:"Well，allIcansayis，Iwishshe’dgiveMEsomeofherdiscardedopportunities。Iwishwecouldchangeplacesnow，forinstance。ShecouldmakeaverygoodthingoutoftheBrysifshemanagedthemproperly，andIshouldknowjusthowtolookafterGeorgeDorsetwhileBerthaisreadingVerlainewithNeddySilverton。"

ShemetSelden’ssoundofprotestwithasharpderisiveglance。

"Well，what’stheuseofmincingmatters？Weallknowthat’swhatBerthabroughtherabroadfor。WhenBerthawantstohaveagoodtimeshehastoprovideoccupationforGeorge。AtfirstIthoughtLilywasgoingtoplayhercardswellTHIStime，buttherearerumoursthatBerthaisjealousofhersuccesshereandatCannes，andIshouldn’tbesurprisediftherewereabreakanyday。Lily’sonlysafeguardisthatBerthaneedsherbadly——oh，verybadly。TheSilvertonaffairisintheacutestage:it’snecessarythatGeorge’sattentionshouldbeprettycontinuouslydistracted。AndI’mboundtosayLilyDOESdistractit:Ibelievehe’dmarryhertomorrowifhefoundouttherewasanythingwrongwithBertha。Butyouknowhim——he’sasblindashe’sjealous；andofcourseLily’spresentbusinessistokeephimblind。Acleverwomanmightknowjusttherightmomenttotearoffthebandage:

butLilyisn’tcleverinthatway，andwhenGeorgedoesopenhiseyesshe’llprobablycontrivenottobeinhislineofvision。"

Seldentossedawayhiscigarette。"ByJove——it’stimeformytrain，"heexclaimed，withaglanceathiswatch；adding，inreplytoMrs。Fisher’ssurprisedcomment——"Why，IthoughtofcourseyouwereatMonte！"——amurmuredwordtotheeffectthathewasmakingNicehishead-quarters。

"Theworstofitis，shesnubstheBrysnow，"heheardirrelevantlyflungafterhim。

Tenminuteslater，inthehigh-perchedbedroomofanhoteloverlookingtheCasino，hewastossinghiseffectsintoacoupleofgapingportmanteaux，whiletheporterwaitedoutsidetotransportthemtothecabatthedoor。IttookbutabriefplungedownthesteepwhiteroadtothestationtolandhimsafelyintheafternoonexpressforNice；andnottillhewasinstalledinthecornerofanemptycarriage，didheexclaimtohimself，withareactionofself-contempt:"WhatthedeuceamIrunningawayfrom？"

ThepertinenceofthequestioncheckedSelden’sfugitiveimpulsebeforethetrainhadstarted。Itwasridiculoustobeflyinglikeanemotionalcowardfromaninfatuationhisreasonhadconquered。

HehadinstructedhisbankerstoforwardsomeimportantbusinessletterstoNice，andatNicehewouldquietlyawaitthem。HewasalreadyannoyedwithhimselfforhavingleftMonteCarlo，wherehehadintendedtopasstheweekwhichremainedtohimbeforesailing；butitwouldnowbedifficulttoreturnonhisstepswithoutanappearanceofinconsistencyfromwhichhispriderecoiled。InhisinmosthearthewasnotsorrytoputhimselfbeyondtheprobabilityofmeetingMissBart。Completelyashehaddetachedhimselffromher，hecouldnotyetregardhermerelyasasocialinstance；andviewedinamorepersonalwayshewasnotlikelytobeareassuringobjectofstudy。Chanceencounters，oreventherepeatedmentionofhername，wouldsendhisthoughtsbackintogroovesfromwhichhehadresolutelydetachedthem；whereas，ifshecouldbeentirelyexcludedfromhislife，thepressureofnewandvariedimpressions，withwhichnothoughtofherwasconnected，wouldsooncompletetheworkofseparation。Mrs。Fisher’sconversationhad，indeed，operatedtothatend；butthetreatmentwastoopainfultobevoluntarilychosenwhilemilderremedieswereuntried；andSeldenthoughthecouldtrusthimselftoreturngraduallytoareasonableviewofMissBart，ifonlyhedidnotseeher。

Havingreachedthestationearly，hehadarrivedatthispointinhisreflectionsbeforetheincreasingthrongontheplatformwarnedhimthathecouldnothopetopreservehisprivacy；thenextmomenttherewasahandonthedoor，andheturnedtoconfronttheveryfacehewasfleeing。

MissBart，glowingwiththehasteofaprecipitatedescentuponthetrain，headedagroupcomposedoftheDorsets，youngSilvertonandLordHubertDacey，whohadbarelytimetospringintothecarriage，andenvelopSeldeninejaculationsofsurpriseandwelcome，beforethewhistleofdeparturesounded。Theparty，itappeared，werehasteningtoNiceinresponsetoasuddensummonstodinewiththeDuchessofBeltshireandtoseethewater-feteinthebay；aplanevidentlyimprovised——inspiteofLordHubert’sprotesting"Oh，Isay，youknow，"——fortheexpresspurposeofdefeatingMrs。Bry’sendeavourtocapturetheDuchess。

Duringthelaughingrelationofthismanoeuvre，SeldenhadtimeforarapidimpressionofMissBart，whohadseatedherselfoppositetohiminthegoldenafternoonlight。ScarcelythreemonthshadelapsedsincehehadpartedfromheronthethresholdoftheBrys’conservatory；butasubtlechangehadpassedoverthequalityofherbeauty。Thenithadhadatransparencythroughwhichthefluctuationsofthespiritweresometimestragicallyvisible；nowitsimpenetrablesurfacesuggestedaprocessofcrystallizationwhichhadfusedherwholebeingintoonehardbrilliantsubstance。ThechangehadstruckMrs。Fisherasarejuvenation:toSeldenitseemedlikethatmomentofpauseandarrestwhenthewarmfluidityofyouthischilledintoitsfinalshape。

Hefeltitinthewayshesmiledonhim，andinthereadinessandcompetencewithwhich，flungunexpectedlyintohispresence，shetookupthethreadoftheirintercourseasthoughthatthreadhadnotbeensnappedwithaviolencefromwhichhestillreeled。Suchfacilitysickenedhim——buthetoldhimselfthatitwaswiththepangwhichprecedesrecovery。Nowhewouldreallygetwell——wouldejectthelastdropofpoisonfromhisblood。Alreadyhefelthimselfcalmerinherpresencethanhehadlearnedtobeinthethoughtofher。Herassumptionsandelisions，hershort-cutsandlongDETOURS，theskillwithwhichshecontrivedtomeethimatapointfromwhichnoinconvenientglimpsesofthepastwerevisible，suggestedwhatopportunitiesshehadhadforpractisingsuchartssincetheirlastmeeting。Hefeltthatshehadatlastarrivedatanunderstandingwithherself:hadmadeapactwithherrebelliousimpulses，andachievedauniformsystemofself-government，underwhichallvagranttendencieswereeitherheldcaptiveorforcedintotheserviceofthestate。

Andhesawotherthingstooinhermanner:sawhowithadadjusteditselftothehiddenintricaciesofasituationinwhich，evenafterMrs。Fisher’selucidatingflashes，hestillfelthimselfagrope。SurelyMrs。FishercouldnolongerchargeMissBartwithneglectingheropportunities！ToSelden’sexasperatedobservationshewasonlytoocompletelyalivetothem。Shewas"perfect"toeveryone:subservienttoBertha’sanxiouspredominance，good-naturedlywatchfulofDorset’smoods，brightlycompanionabletoSilvertonandDacey，thelatterofwhommetheronanevidentfootingofoldadmiration，whileyoungSilverton，portentouslyself-absorbed，seemedconsciousofheronlyasofsomethingvaguelyobstructive。Andsuddenly，asSeldennotedthefineshadesofmannerbywhichsheharmonizedherselfwithhersurroundings，itflashedonhimthat，toneedsuchadroithandling，thesituationmustindeedbedesperate。Shewasontheedgeofsomething——thatwastheimpressionleftwithhim。

Heseemedtoseeherpoisedonthebrinkofachasm，withonegracefulfootadvancedtoassertherunconsciousnessthatthegroundwasfailingher。

OnthePromenadedesAnglais，whereNedSilvertonhungonhimforthehalfhourbeforedinner，hereceivedadeeperimpressionofthegeneralinsecurity。SilvertonwasinamoodofTitanicpessimism。HowanyonecouldcometosuchadamnedholeastheRiviera——anyonewithagrainofimagination——withthewholeMediterraneantochoosefrom:butthen，ifone’sestimateofaplacedependedonthewaytheybroiledaspringchicken！Gad！

whatastudymightbemadeofthetyrannyofthestomach——thewayasluggishliverorinsufficientgastricjuicesmightaffectthewholecourseoftheuniverse，overshadoweverythinginreach——chronicdyspepsiaoughttobeamongthe"statutorycauses"；awoman’slifemightberuinedbyaman’sinabilitytodigestfreshbread。Grotesque？Yes——andtragic——likemostabsurdities。There’snothinggrimmerthanthetragedythatwearsacomicmask……Wherewashe？Oh——thereasontheychuckedSicilyandrushedback？Well——partly，nodoubt，MissBart’sdesiretogetbacktobridgeandsmartness。Deadasastonetoartandpoetry——thelightneverWASonseaorlandforher！AndofcourseshepersuadedDorsetthattheItalianfoodwasbadforhim。Oh，shecouldmakehimbelieveanything——ANYTHING！Mrs。Dorsetwasawareofit——oh，perfectly:nothingSHEdidn’tsee！Butshecouldholdhertongue——she’dhadto，oftenenough。MissBartwasanintimatefriend——shewouldn’thearawordagainsther。Onlyithurtsawoman’spride——therearesomethingsonedoesn’tgetusedto……Allthisinconfidence，ofcourse？Ah——andthereweretheladiessignallingfromthebalconyofthehotel……HeplungedacrossthePromenade，leavingSeldentoameditativecigar。

Theconclusionsitledhimtowerefortified，laterintheevening，bysomeofthosefaintcorroborativehintsthatgeneratealightoftheirownintheduskofadoubtingmind。Selden，stumblingonachanceacquaintance，haddinedwithhim，andadjourned，stillinhiscompany，tothebrightlylitPromenade，wherealineofcrowdedstandscommandedtheglitteringdarknessofthewaters。Thenightwassoftandpersuasive。Overheadhungasummerskyfurrowedwiththerushofrockets；andfromtheeastalatemoon，pushingupbeyondtheloftybendofthecoast，sentacrossthebayashaftofbrightnesswhichpaledtoashesintheredglitteroftheilluminatedboats。Downthelantern-hungPromenade，snatchesofband-musicfloatedabovethehumofthecrowdandthesofttossingofboughsinduskygardens；

andbetweenthesegardensandthebacksofthestandsthereflowedastreamofpeopleinwhomthevociferouscarnivalmoodseemedtemperedbythegrowinglanguoroftheseason。

Seldenandhiscompanion，unabletogetseatsononeofthestandsfacingthebay，hadwanderedforawhilewiththethrong，andthenfoundapointofvantageonahighgarden-parapetabovethePromenade。Thencetheycaughtbutatriangularglimpseofthewater，andoftheflashingplayofboatsacrossitssurface；

butthecrowdinthestreetwasundertheirimmediateview，andseemedtoSelden，onthewhole，ofmoreinterestthantheshowitself。Afterawhile，however，heweariedofhisperchand，droppingalonetothepavement，pushedhiswaytothefirstcornerandturnedintothemoonlitsilenceofasidestreet。Longgarden-wallsoverhungbytreesmadeadarkboundarytothepavement；anemptycabtrailedalongthedesertedthoroughfare，andpresentlySeldensawtwopersonsemergefromtheoppositeshadows，signaltothecab，anddriveoffinittowardthecentreofthetown。Themoonlighttouchedthemastheypausedtoenterthecarriage，andherecognizedMrs。DorsetandyoungSilverton。

Beneaththenearestlamp-postheglancedathiswatchandsawthatthetimewascloseoneleven。Hetookanothercrossstreet，andwithoutbreastingthethrongonthePromenade，madehiswaytothefashionableclubwhichoverlooksthatthoroughfare。Here，amidtheblazeofcrowdedbaccarattables，hecaughtsightofLordHubertDacey，seatedwithhishabitualwornsmilebehindarapidlydwindlingheapofgold。Theheapbeinginduecoursewipedout，LordHubertrosewithashrug，andjoiningSelden，adjournedwithhimtothedesertedterraceoftheclub。Itwasnowpastmidnight，andthethrongonthestandswasdispersing，whilethelongtrailsofred-litboatsscatteredandfadedbeneathaskyrepossessedbythetranquilsplendourofthemoon。

LordHubertlookedathiswatch。"ByJove，IpromisedtojointheDuchessforsupperattheLONDONHOUSE；butit’spasttwelve，andIsupposethey’veallscattered。Thefactis，Ilosttheminthecrowdsoonafterdinner，andtookrefugehere，formysins。Theyhadseatsononeofthestands，butofcoursetheycouldn’tstopquiet:theDuchessnevercan。SheandMissBartwentoffinquestofwhattheycalladventures——gad，itain’ttheirfaultiftheydon’thavesomequeerones！"Headdedtentatively，afterpausingtogropeforacigarette:"MissBart’sanoldfriendofyours，Ibelieve？Soshetoldme——Ah，thanks——I

don’tseemtohaveoneleft。"HelitSelden’sprofferedcigarette，andcontinued，inhishigh-pitcheddrawlingtone:

"Noneofmybusiness，ofcourse，butIdidn’tintroducehertotheDuchess。Charmingwoman，theDuchess，youunderstand；andaverygoodfriendofmine；butRATHERaliberaleducation。"

Seldenreceivedthisinsilence，andafterafewpuffsLordHubertbrokeoutagain:"Sortofthingonecan’tcommunicatetotheyounglady——thoughyoungladiesnowadaysaresocompetenttojudgeforthemselves；butinthiscase——I’manoldfriendtoo，youknow……andthereseemednooneelsetospeakto。Thewholesituation’salittlemixed，asIseeit——butthereusedtobeanauntsomewhere，adiffuseandinnocentperson，whowasgreatatbridgingoverchasmsshedidn’tsee……Ah，inNewYork，isshe？PityNewYork’ssuchalongwayoff！"

MissBart，emerginglatethenextmorningfromhercabin，foundherselfaloneonthedeckoftheSabrina。Thecushionedchairs，disposedexpectantlyunderthewideawning，showednosignsofrecentoccupancy，andshepresentlylearnedfromastewardthatMrs。Dorsethadnotyetappeared，andthatthegentlemen——separately——hadgoneashoreassoonastheyhadbreakfasted。Suppliedwiththesefacts，Lilyleanedawhileovertheside，givingherselfuptoaleisurelyenjoymentofthespectaclebeforeher。Uncloudedsunlightenvelopedseaandshoreinabathofpurestradiancy。Thepurplingwatersdrewasharpwhitelineoffoamatthebaseoftheshore；againstitsirregulareminences，hotelsandvillasflashedfromthegreyishverdureofoliveandeucalyptus；andthebackgroundofbareandfinely-pencilledmountainsquiveredinapaleintensityoflight。

Howbeautifulitwas——andhowshelovedbeauty！Shehadalwaysfeltthathersensibilityinthisdirectionmadeupforcertainobtusenessesoffeelingofwhichshewaslessproud；andduringthelastthreemonthsshehadindulgeditpassionately。TheDorsets’invitationtogoabroadwiththemhadcomeasanalmostmiraculousreleasefromcrushingdifficulties；andherfacultyforrenewingherselfinnewscenes，andcastingoffproblemsofconductaseasilyasthesurroundingsinwhichtheyhadarisen，madethemerechangefromoneplacetoanotherseem，notmerelyapostponement，butasolutionofhertroubles。Moralcomplicationsexistedforheronlyintheenvironmentthathadproducedthem；

shedidnotmeantoslightorignorethem，buttheylosttheirrealitywhentheychangedtheirbackground。ShecouldnothaveremainedinNewYorkwithoutrepayingthemoneysheowedtoTrenor；toacquitherselfofthatodiousdebtshemightevenhavefacedamarriagewithRosedale；buttheaccidentofplacingtheAtlanticbetweenherselfandherobligationsmadethemdwindleoutofsightasiftheyhadbeenmilestonesandshehadtravelledpastthem。

HertwomonthsontheSabrinahadbeenespeciallycalculatedtoaidthisillusionofdistance。Shehadbeenplungedintonewscenes，andhadfoundinthemarenewalofoldhopesandambitions。Thecruiseitselfcharmedherasaromanticadventure。

Shewasvaguelytouchedbythenamesandscenesamidwhichshemoved，andhadlistenedtoNedSilvertonreadingTheocritusbymoonlight，astheyachtroundedtheSicilianpromontories，withathrillofthenervesthatconfirmedherbeliefinherintellectualsuperiority。ButtheweeksatCannesandNicehadreallygivenhermorepleasure。Thegratificationofbeingwelcomedinhighcompany，andofmakingherownascendencyfeltthere，sothatshefoundherselffiguringoncemoreasthe"beautifulMissBart"intheinterestingjournaldevotedtorecordingtheleastmovementsofhercosmopolitancompanions——alltheseexperiencestendedtothrowintotheextremebackgroundofmemorytheprosaicandsordiddifficultiesfromwhichshehadescaped。

Ifshewasfaintlyawareoffreshdifficultiesahead，shewassureofherabilitytomeetthem:itwascharacteristicofhertofeelthattheonlyproblemsshecouldnotsolvewerethosewithwhichshewasfamiliar。Meanwhileshecouldhonestlybeproudoftheskillwithwhichshehadadaptedherselftosomewhatdelicateconditions。Shehadreasontothinkthatshehadmadeherselfequallynecessarytoherhostandhostess；andifonlyshehadseenanyperfectlyirreproachablemeansofdrawingafinancialprofitfromthesituation，therewouldhavebeennocloudonherhorizon。Thetruthwasthatherfunds，asusual，wereinconvenientlylow；andtoneitherDorsetnorhiswifecouldthisvulgarembarrassmentbesafelyhinted。Still，theneedwasnotapressingone；shecouldworryalong，asshehadsooftendonebefore，withthehopeofsomehappychangeoffortunetosustainher；andmeanwhilelifewasgayandbeautifulandeasy，andshewasconsciousoffiguringnotunworthilyinsuchasetting。

ShewasengagedtobreakfastthatmorningwiththeDuchessofBeltshire，andattwelveo’clocksheaskedtobesetashoreinthegig。BeforethisshehadsenthermaidtoenquireifshemightseeMrs。Dorset；butthereplycamebackthatthelatterwastired，andtryingtosleep。Lilythoughtsheunderstoodthereasonoftherebuff。HerhostesshadnotbeenincludedintheDuchess’sinvitation，thoughsheherselfhadmadethemostloyaleffortsinthatdirection。Buthergracewasimpervioustohints，andinvitedoromittedasshechose。ItwasnotLily’sfaultifMrs。Dorset’scomplicatedattitudesdidnotfallinwiththeDuchess’seasygait。TheDuchess，whoseldomexplainedherself，hadnotformulatedherobjectionbeyondsaying:"She’sratherabore，youknow。TheonlyoneofyourfriendsIlikeisthatlittleMr。Bry——HE’Sfunny——"butLilyknewenoughnottopressthepoint，andwasnotaltogethersorrytobethusdistinguishedatherfriend’sexpense。BerthacertainlyHADgrowntiresomesinceshehadtakentopoetryandNedSilverton。

Onthewhole，itwasarelieftobreakawaynowandthenfromtheSabrina；andtheDuchess’slittlebreakfast，organizedbyLordHubertwithallhisusualvirtuosity，wasthepleasantertoLilyfornotincludinghertravelling-companions。Dorset，oflate，hadgrownmorethanusuallymoroseandincalculable，andNedSilvertonwentaboutwithanairthatseemedtochallengetheuniverse。Thefreedomandlightnessoftheducalintercoursemadeanagreeablechangefromthesecomplications，andLilywastempted，afterluncheon，toadjourninthewakeofhercompanionstothehecticatmosphereoftheCasino。Shedidnotmeantoplay；

herdiminishedpocket-moneyofferedsmallscopefortheadventure；butitamusedhertositonadivan，underthedoubtfulprotectionoftheDuchess’sback，whilethelatterhungaboveherstakesataneighbouringtable。

Theroomswerepackedwiththegazingthrongwhich，intheafternoonhours，tricklesheavilybetweenthetables，liketheSundaycrowdinalion-house。Inthestagnantflowofthemass，identitieswerehardlydistinguishable；butLilypresentlysawMrs。Brycleavingherdeterminedwaythroughthedoors，and，inthebroadwakesheleft，thelightfigureofMrs。Fisherbobbingafterherlikearow-boatatthesternofatug。Mrs。Brypressedon，evidentlyanimatedbytheresolvetoreachacertainpointintherooms；butMrs。Fisher，asshepassedLily，brokefromhertowing-line，andletherselffloattothegirl’sside。

"Loseher？"sheechoedthelatter’squery，withanindifferentglanceatMrs。Bry’sretreatingback。"Idaresay——itdoesn’tmatter:IHAVElostheralready。"And，asLilyexclaimed，sheadded:"Wehadanawfulrowthismorning。Youknow，ofcourse，thattheDuchesschuckedheratdinnerlastnight，andshethinksitwasmyfault——mywantofmanagement。Theworstofitis，themessage——justamerewordbytelephone——camesolatethatthedinnerHADtobepaidfor；andBecassinHADrunitup——ithadbeensodrummedintohimthattheDuchesswascoming！"

Mrs。Fisherindulgedinafaintlaughattheremembrance。"Payingforwhatshedoesn’tgetranklessodreadfullywithLouisa:I

can’tmakeherseethatit’soneofthepreliminarystepstogettingwhatyouhaven’tpaidfor——andasIwasthenearestthingtosmash，shesmashedmetoatoms，poordear！"

Lilymurmuredhercommiseration。Impulsesofsympathycamenaturallytoher，anditwasinstinctivetoprofferherhelptoMrs。Fisher。

"Ifthere’sanythingIcando——ifit’sonlyaquestionofmeetingtheDuchess！IheardhersayshethoughtMr。Bryamusing——"

ButMrs。Fisherinterposedwithadecisivegesture。"Mydear，I

havemypride:theprideofmytrade。Icouldn’tmanagetheDuchess，andIcan’tpalmoffyourartsonLouisaBryasmine。

I’vetakenthefinalstep:IgotoParistonightwiththeSamGormers。THEY’REstillintheelementarystage；anItalianPrinceisagreatdealmorethanaPrincetothem，andthey’realwaysonthebrinkoftakingacourierforone。Tosavethemfromthatismypresentmission。"Shelaughedagainatthepicture。"ButbeforeIgoIwanttomakemylastwillandtestament——IwanttoleaveyoutheBrys。"

"Me？"MissBartjoinedinheramusement。"It’scharmingofyoutorememberme，dear；butreally——"

"You’realreadysowellprovidedfor？"Mrs。Fisherflashedasharpglanceather。"AREyou，though，Lily——tothepointofrejectingmyoffer？"

MissBartcolouredslowly。"WhatIreallymeantwas，thattheBryswouldn’tintheleastcaretobesodisposedof。"

Mrs。Fishercontinuedtoprobeherembarrassmentwithanunflinchingeye。"Whatyoureallymeantwasthatyou’vesnubbedtheBryshorribly；andyouknowthattheyknow——"

"Carry！"

"Oh，oncertainsidesLouisabristleswithperceptions。Ifyou’devenmanagedtohavethemaskedonceontheSabrina——especiallywhenroyaltieswerecoming！Butit’snottoolate，"sheendedearnestly，"it’snottoolateforeitherofyou。"

Lilysmiled。"Stayover，andI’llgettheDuchesstodinewiththem。"

"Ishan’tstayover——theGormershavepaidformySALON-LIT，"

saidMrs。Fisherwithsimplicity。"ButgettheDuchesstodinewiththemallthesame。"

Lily’ssmileagainflowedintoaslightlaugh:herfriend’simportunitywasbeginningtostrikeherasirrelevant。"I’msorryIhavebeennegligentabouttheBrys——"shebegan。

"Oh，astotheBrys——it’syouI’mthinkingof，"saidMrs。Fisherabruptly。Shepaused，andthen，bendingforward，withaloweredvoice:"YouknowweallwentontoNicelastnightwhentheDuchesschuckedus。ItwasLouisa’sidea——ItoldherwhatI

thoughtofit。"

MissBartassented。"Yes——Icaughtsightofyouonthewayback，atthestation。"

"Well，themanwhowasinthecarriagewithyouandGeorgeDorset——thathorridlittleDabhamwhodoes’SocietyNotesfromtheRiviera’——hadbeendiningwithusatNice。Andhe’stellingeverybodythatyouandDorsetcamebackaloneaftermidnight。"

"Alone——？Whenhewaswithus？"Lilylaughed，butherlaughfadedintogravityundertheprolongedimplicationofMrs。Fisher’slook。"WeDIDcomebackalone——ifthat’ssoverydreadful！Butwhosefaultwasit？TheDuchesswasspendingthenightatCimiezwiththeCrownPrincess；Berthagotboredwiththeshow，andwentoffearly，promisingtomeetusatthestation。Weturnedupontime，butshedidn’t——shedidn’tturnupatall！"

MissBartmadethisannouncementinthetoneofonewhopresents，withcarelessassurance，acompletevindication；butMrs。Fisherreceiveditinamanneralmostinconsequent。Sheseemedtohavelostsightofherfriend’spartintheincident:herinwardvisionhadtakenanotherslant。

"Berthaneverturnedupatall？Thenhowonearthdidshegetback？"

"Oh，bythenexttrain，Isuppose；thereweretwoextraonesfortheFETE。Atanyrate，Iknowshe’ssafeontheyacht，thoughI

haven’tyetseenher；butyouseeitwasnotmyfault，"Lilysummedup。

"NotyourfaultthatBerthadidn’tturnup？Mypoorchild，ifonlyyoudon’thavetopayforit！"Mrs。Fisherrose——shehadseenMrs。Brysurgingbackinherdirection。"There’sLouisa，andImustbeoff——oh，we’reonthebestoftermsexternally；we’relunchingtogether；butatheartit’sMEshe’slunchingon，"sheexplained；andwithalasthand-claspandalastlook，sheadded:

"Remember，Ileavehertoyou；she’shoveringnow，readytotakeyouin。

"LilycarriedtheimpressionofMrs。Fisher’sleave-takingawaywithherfromtheCasinodoors。Shehadaccomplished，beforeleaving，thefirststeptowardherreinstatementinMrs。Bry’sgoodgraces。Anaffableadvance——avaguemurmurthattheymustseemoreofeachother——anallusiveglancetoanearfuturethatwasfelttoincludetheDuchessaswellastheSabrina——howeasilyitwasalldone，ifonepossessedtheknackofdoingit！

Shewonderedatherself，asshehadsooftenwondered，that，possessingtheknack，shedidnotmoreconsistentlyexerciseit。

Butsometimesshewasforgetful——andsometimes，coulditbethatshewasproud？Today，atanyrate，shehadbeenvaguelyconsciousofareasonforsinkingherpride，hadinfactevensunkittothepointofsuggestingtoLordHubertDacey，whomsheranacrossontheCasinosteps，thathemightreallygettheDuchesstodinewiththeBrys，ifSHEundertooktohavethemaskedontheSabrina。LordHuberthadpromisedhishelp，withthereadinessonwhichshecouldalwayscount:itwashisonlywayofeverremindingherthathehadoncebeenreadytodosomuchmoreforher。Herpath，inshort，seemedtosmoothitselfbeforeherassheadvanced；yetthefaintstirofuneasinesspersisted。Haditbeenproduced，shewondered，byherchancemeetingwithSelden？

Shethoughtnot——timeandchangeseemedsocompletelytohaverelegatedhimtohisproperdistance。ThesuddenandexquisitereactionfromheranxietieshadhadtheeffectofthrowingtherecentpastsofarbackthatevenSelden，aspartofit，retainedacertainairofunreality。Andhehadmadeitsoclearthattheywerenottomeetagain；thathehadmerelydroppeddowntoNiceforadayortwo，andhadalmosthisfootonthenextsteamer。No——thatpartofthepasthadmerelysurgedupforamomentonthefleeingsurfaceofevents；andnowthatitwassubmergedagain，theuncertainty，theapprehensionpersisted。

TheygrewtosuddenacutenessasshecaughtsightofGeorgeDorsetdescendingthestepsoftheHoteldeParisandmakingforheracrossthesquare。Shehadmeanttodrivedowntothequayandregaintheyacht；butshenowhadtheimmediateimpressionthatsomethingmorewastohappenfirst。

"Whichwayareyougoing？Shallwewalkabit？"hebegan，puttingthesecondquestionbeforethefirstwasanswered，andnotwaitingforareplytoeitherbeforehedirectedhersilentlytowardthecomparativeseclusionofthelowergardens。

Shedetectedinhimatonceallthesignsofextremenervoustension。Theskinwaspuffedoutunderhissunkeneyes，anditssallownesshadpaledtoaleadenwhiteagainstwhichhisirregulareyebrowsandlongreddishmoustachewererelievedwithasaturnineeffect。Hisappearance，inshort，presentedanoddmixtureofthebedraggledandtheferocious。

Hewalkedbesideherinsilence，withquickprecipitatesteps，tilltheyreachedtheemboweredslopestotheeastoftheCasino；

then，pullingupabruptly，hesaid:"HaveyouseenBertha？"

"No——whenIlefttheyachtshewasnotyetup。"

Hereceivedthiswithalaughlikethewhirringsoundinadisabledclock。"Notyetup？Hadshegonetobed？Doyouknowatwhattimeshecameonboard？Thismorningatseven！"heexclaimed。

"Atseven？"Lilystarted。"Whathappened——anaccidenttothetrain？"

Helaughedagain。"Theymissedthetrain——allthetrains——theyhadtodriveback。"

"Well——？"Shehesitated，feelingatoncehowlittleeventhisnecessityaccountedforthefatallapseofhours。

"Well，theycouldn’tgetacarriageatonce——atthattimeofnight，youknow——"theexplanatorynotemadeitalmostseemasthoughhewereputtingthecaseforhiswife——"andwhentheyfinallydid，itwasonlyaone-horsecab，andthehorsewaslame！"

"Howtiresome！Isee，"sheaffirmed，withthemoreearnestnessbecauseshewassonervouslyconsciousthatshedidnot；andafterapausesheadded:"I’msosorry——butoughtwetohavewaited？"

"Waitedfortheone-horsecab？Itwouldscarcelyhavecarriedthefourofus，doyouthink？"

Shetookthisinwhatseemedtheonlypossibleway，withalaughintendedtosinkthequestionitselfinhishumoroustreatmentofit。"Well，itwouldhavebeendifficult；weshouldhavehadtowalkbyturns。Butitwouldhavebeenjollytoseethesunrise。"

"Yes:thesunriseWASjolly，"heagreed。

"Wasit？Yousawit，then？"

"Isawit，yes；fromthedeck。Iwaitedupforthem。"

"Naturally——Isupposeyouwereworried。Whydidn’tyoucallonmetoshareyourvigil？"

Hestoodstill，draggingathismoustachewithaleanweakhand。

"Idon’tthinkyouwouldhavecaredforitsDENOUEMENT，"hesaidwithsuddengrimness。

Againshewasdisconcertedbytheabruptchangeinhistone，andasinoneflashshesawtheperilofthemoment，andtheneedofkeepinghersenseofitoutofhereyes。

"DENOUEMENT——isn’tthattoobigawordforsuchasmallincident？

Theworstofit，afterall，isthefatiguewhichBerthahasprobablysleptoffbythistime。"

Sheclungtothenotebravely，thoughitsfutilitywasnowplaintoherintheglareofhismiserableeyes。

"Don’t——don’t——！"hebrokeout，withthehurtcryofachild；

andwhileshetriedtomergehersympathy，andherresolvetoignoreanycauseforit，inoneambiguousmurmurofdeprecation，hedroppeddownonthebenchnearwhichtheyhadpaused，andpouredoutthewretchednessofhissoul。

Itwasadreadfulhour——anhourfromwhichsheemergedshrinkingandseared，asthoughherlidshadbeenscorchedbyitsactualglare。Itwasnotthatshehadneverhadpremonitoryglimpsesofsuchanoutbreak；butratherbecause，hereandtherethroughoutthethreemonths，thesurfaceoflifehadshownsuchominouscracksandvapoursthatherfearshadalwaysbeenonthealertforanupheaval。Therehadbeenmomentswhenthesituationhadpresenteditselfunderahomelieryetmorevividimage——thatofashakyvehicle，dashedbyunbrokensteedsoverabumpingroad，whileshecoweredwithin，awarethattheharnesswantedmending，andwonderingwhatwouldgivewayfirst。

Well——everythinghadgivenwaynow；andthewonderwasthatthecrazyoutfithadheldtogethersolong。Hersenseofbeinginvolvedinthecrash，insteadofmerelywitnessingitfromtheroad，wasintensifiedbythewayinwhichDorset，throughhisfuriesofdenunciationandwildreactionsofself-contempt，madeherfeeltheneedhehadofher，theplaceshehadtakeninhislife。Butforher，whatearwouldhavebeenopentohiscries？

Andwhathandbutherscoulddraghimupagaintoafootingofsanityandself-respect？Allthroughthestressofthestrugglewithhim，shehadbeenconsciousofsomethingfaintlymaternalinhereffortstoguideanduplifthim。Butforthepresent，ifheclungtoher，itwasnotinordertobedraggedup，buttofeelsomeoneflounderinginthedepthswithhim:hewantedhertosufferwithhim，nottohelphimtosufferless。

Happilyforboth，therewaslittlephysicalstrengthtosustainhisfrenzy。Itlefthim，collapsedandbreathingheavily，toanapathysodeepandprolongedthatLilyalmostfearedthepassers-bywouldthinkittheresultofaseizure，andstoptooffertheiraid。ButMonteCarlois，ofallplaces，theonewherethehumanbondisleastclose，andoddsightsaretheleastarresting。Ifaglanceortwolingeredonthecouple，nointrusivesympathydisturbedthem；anditwasLilyherselfwhobrokethesilencebyrisingfromherseat。Withtheclearingofhervisionthesweepofperilhadextended，andshesawthatthepostofdangerwasnolongeratDorset’sside。

"Ifyouwon’tgoback，Imust——don’tmakemeleaveyou！"sheurged。

Butheremainedmutelyresistant，andsheadded:"Whatareyougoingtodo？Youreallycan’tsithereallnight。"

"Icangotoanhotel。Icantelegraphmylawyers。"Hesatup，rousedbyanewthought。"ByJove，Selden’satNice——I’llsendforSelden！"

Lily，atthis，reseatedherselfwithacryofalarm。"No，no，NO"

sheprotested。

Heswungroundonherdistrustfully。"WhynotSelden？He’salawyerisn’the？Onewilldoaswellasanotherinacaselikethis。"

"Asbadlyasanother，youmean。IthoughtyoureliedonMEtohelpyou。"

"Youdo——bybeingsosweetandpatientwithme。Ifithadn’tbeenforyouI’dhaveendedthethinglongago。Butnowit’sgottoend。"Herosesuddenly，straighteninghimselfwithaneffort。

"Youcan’twanttoseemeridiculous。"

Shelookedathimkindly。"That’sjustit。"Then，afteramoment’spondering，almosttoherownsurpriseshebrokeoutwithaflashofinspiration:"Well，gooverandseeMr。Selden。You’llhavetimetodoitbeforedinner。"

"Oh，DINNER——"hemockedher；butshelefthimwiththesmilingrejoinder:"Dinneronboard，remember；we’llputitofftillnineifyoulike。"

Itwaspastfouralready；andwhenacabhaddroppedheratthequay，andshestoodwaitingforthegigtoputoffforher，shebegantowonderwhathadbeenhappeningontheyacht。OfSilverton’swhereaboutstherehadbeennomention。HadhereturnedtotheSabrina？OrcouldBertha——thedreadalternativesprangonhersuddenly——couldBertha，lefttoherself，havegoneashoretorejoinhim？Lily’sheartstoodstillatthethought。

AllherconcernhadhithertobeenforyoungSilverton，notonlybecause，insuchaffairs，thewoman’sinstinctistosidewiththeman，butbecausehiscasemadeapeculiarappealtohersympathies。Hewassodesperatelyinearnest，pooryouth，andhisearnestnesswasofsodifferentaqualityfromBertha’s，thoughherstoowasdesperateenough。ThedifferencewasthatBerthawasinearnestonlyaboutherself，whilehewasinearnestabouther。

Butnow，attheactualcrisis，thisdifferenceseemedtothrowtheweightofdestitutiononBertha’sside，sinceatleasthehadhertosufferfor，andshehadonlyherself。Atanyrate，viewedlessideally，allthedisadvantagesofsuchasituationwereforthewoman；anditwastoBerthathatLily’ssympathiesnowwentout。ShewasnotfondofBerthaDorset，butneitherwasshewithoutasenseofobligation，theheavierforhavingsolittlepersonallikingtosustainit。Berthahadbeenkindtoher，theyhadlivedtogether，duringthelastmonths，ontermsofeasyfriendship，andthesenseoffrictionofwhichLilyhadrecentlybecomeawareseemedtomakeitthemoreurgentthatsheshouldworkundividedlyinherfriend’sinterest。

ItwasinBertha’sinterest，certainly，thatshehaddespatchedDorsettoconsultwithLawrenceSelden。Oncethegrotesquenessofthesituationaccepted，shehadseenataglancethatitwasthesafestinwhichDorsetcouldfindhimself。WhobutSeldencouldthusmiraculouslycombinetheskilltosaveBerthawiththeobligationofdoingso？TheconsciousnessthatmuchskillwouldberequiredmadeLilyrestthankfullyinthegreatnessoftheobligation。SincehewouldHAVEtopullBerthathroughshecouldtrusthimtofindaway；andsheputthefulnessofhertrustinthetelegramshemanagedtosendhimonherwaytothequay。

Thusfar，then，Lilyfeltthatshehaddonewell；andtheconvictionstrengthenedherforthetaskthatremained。SheandBerthahadneverbeenonconfidentialterms，butatsuchacrisisthebarriersofreservemustsurelyfall:Dorset’swildallusionstothesceneofthemorningmadeLilyfeelthattheyweredownalready，andthatanyattempttorebuildthemwouldbebeyondBertha’sstrength。Shepicturedthepoorcreatureshiveringbehindherfallendefencesandawaitingwithsuspensethemomentwhenshecouldtakerefugeinthefirstshelterthatoffered。Ifonlythatshelterhadnotalreadyoffereditselfelsewhere！Asthegigtraversedtheshortdistancebetweenthequayandtheyacht，Lilygrewmorethaneveralarmedatthepossibleconsequencesofherlongabsence。WhatifthewretchedBertha，findinginallthelonghoursnosoultoturnto——butbythistimeLily’seagerfootwasontheside-ladder，andherfirststepontheSabrinashowedtheworstofherapprehensionstobeunfounded；forthere，intheluxuriousshadeoftheafter-deck，thewretchedBertha，infullcommandofherusualattenuatedelegance，satdispensingteatotheDuchessofBeltshireandLordHubert。

ThesightfilledLilywithsuchsurprisethatshefeltthatBertha，atleast，mustreaditsmeaninginherlook，andshewasproportionatelydisconcertedbytheblanknessofthelookreturned。ButinaninstantshesawthatMrs。Dorsethad，ofnecessity，tolookblankbeforetheothers，andthat，tomitigatetheeffectofherownsurprise，shemustatonceproducesomesimplereasonforit。ThelonghabitofrapidtransitionsmadeiteasyforhertoexclaimtotheDuchess:"Why，Ithoughtyou’dgonebacktothePrincess！"andthissufficedfortheladysheaddressed，ifitwashardlyenoughforLordHubert。

AtleastitopenedthewaytoalivelyexplanationofhowtheDuchesswas，infact，goingbackthenextmoment，buthadfirstrushedouttotheyachtforawordwithMrs。Dorsetonthesubjectoftomorrow’sdinner——thedinnerwiththeBrys，towhichLordHuberthadfinallyinsistedondraggingthem。

"Tosavemyneck，youknow！"heexplained，withaglancethatappealedtoLilyforsomerecognitionofhispromptness；andtheDuchessadded，withhernoblecandour:"Mr。Bryhaspromisedhimatip，andhesaysifwegohe’llpassitontous。"

Thisledtosomefinalpleasantries，inwhich，asitseemedtoLily，Mrs。Dorsetboreherpartwithastoundingbravery，andatthecloseofwhichLordHubert，fromhalfwaydowntheside-ladder，calledback，withanairofnumberingheads:"AndofcoursewemaycountonDorsettoo？"

"Oh，countonhim，"hiswifeassentedgaily。Shewaskeepingupwelltothelast——butassheturnedbackfromwavingheradieuxovertheside，Lilysaidtoherselfthatthemaskmustdropandthesouloffearlookout。

Mrs。Dorsetturnedbackslowly；perhapsshewantedtimetosteadyhermuscles；atanyrate，theywerestillunderperfectcontrolwhen，droppingoncemoreintoherseatbehindthetea-table，sheremarkedtoMissBartwithafainttouchofirony:"IsupposeI

oughttosaygoodmorning。"

Ifitwasacue，Lilywasreadytotakeit，thoughwithonlythevaguestsenseofwhatwasexpectedofherinreturn。TherewassomethingunnervinginthecontemplationofMrs。Dorset’scomposure，andshehadtoforcethelighttoneinwhichsheanswered:"Itriedtoseeyouthismorning，butyouwerenotyetup。

"No——Igottobedlate。AfterwemissedyouatthestationIthoughtweoughttowaitforyoutillthelasttrain。"

Shespokeverygently，butwithjusttheleasttingeofreproach。

"Youmissedus？Youwaitedforusatthestation？"NowindeedLilywastoofaradriftinbewildermenttomeasuretheother’swordsorkeepwatchonherown。"ButIthoughtyoudidn’tgettothestationtillafterthelasttrainhadleft！"

Mrs。Dorset，examiningherbetweenloweredlids，metthiswiththeimmediatequery:"Whotoldyouthat？"

"George——Isawhimjustnowinthegardens。"

"Ah，isthatGeorge’sversion？PoorGeorge——hewasinnostatetorememberwhatItoldhim。Hehadoneofhisworstattacksthismorning，andIpackedhimofftoseethedoctor。Doyouknowifhefoundhim？"

Lily，stilllostinconjecture，madenoreply，andMrs。Dorsetsettledherselfindolentlyinherseat。"He’llwaittoseehim；

hewashorriblyfrightenedabouthimself。It’sverybadforhimtobeworried，andwheneveranythingupsettinghappens，italwaysbringsonanattack。"

ThistimeLilyfeltsurethatacuewasbeingpressedonher；butitwasputforthwithsuchstartlingsuddenness，andwithsoincredibleanairofignoringwhatitledupto，thatshecouldonlyfalteroutdoubtfully:"Anythingupsetting？"

"Yes——suchashavingyousoconspicuouslyonhishandsinthesmallhours。Youknow，mydear，you’reratherabigresponsibilityinsuchascandalousplaceaftermidnight。"

Atthat——atthecompleteunexpectednessandtheinconceivableaudacityofit——Lilycouldnotrestrainthetributeofanastonishedlaugh。

"Well，really——consideringitwasyouwhoburdenedhimwiththeresponsibility！"

Mrs。Dorsettookthiswithanexquisitemildness。"Bynothavingthesuperhumanclevernesstodiscoveryouinthatfrightfulrushforthetrain？Ortheimaginationtobelievethatyou’dtakeitwithoutus——youandheallalone——insteadofwaitingquietlyinthestationtillweDIDmanagetomeetyou？"

Lily’scolourrose:itwasgrowingcleartoherthatBerthawaspursuinganobject，followingalineshehadmarkedoutforherself。Only，withsuchadoomimpending，whywastetimeinthesechildisheffortstoavertit？ThepuerilityoftheattemptdisarmedLily’sindignation:diditnotprovehowhorriblythepoorcreaturewasfrightened？"

No；byoursimplyallkeepingtogetheratNice，"shereturned。

"Keepingtogether？WhenitwasyouwhoseizedthefirstopportunitytorushoffwiththeDuchessandherfriends？MydearLily，youarenotachildtobeledbythehand！"

"No——nortobelectured，Bertha，really；ifthat’swhatyouaredoingtomenow。"

Mrs。Dorsetsmiledonherreproachfully。"Lectureyou——I？Heavenforbid！Iwasmerelytryingtogiveyouafriendlyhint。Butit’susuallytheotherwayround，isn’tit？I’mexpectedtotakehints，nottogivethem:I’vepositivelylivedonthemalltheselastmonths。"

"Hints——frommetoyou？"Lilyrepeated。

"Oh，negativeonesmerely——whatnottobeandtodoandtosee。

AndIthinkI’vetakenthemtoadmiration。Only，mydear，ifyou’llletmesayso，Ididn’tunderstandthatoneofmynegativedutieswasNOTtowarnyouwhenyoucarriedyourimprudencetoofar。"

AchilloffearpassedoverMissBart:asenseofrememberedtreacherythatwaslikethegleamofaknifeinthedusk。Butcompassion，inamoment，gotthebetterofherinstinctiverecoil。Whatwasthisoutpouringofsenselessbitternessbutthetrackedcreature’sattempttocloudthemediumthroughwhichitwasfleeing？ItwasonLily’slipstoexclaim:"Youpoorsoul，don’tdoubleandturn——comestraightbacktome，andwe’llfindawayout！"ButthewordsdiedundertheimpenetrableinsolenceofBertha’ssmile。Lilysatsilent，takingthebruntofitquietly，lettingitspenditselfonhertothelastdropofitsaccumulatedfalseness；then，withoutaword，sheroseandwentdowntohercabin。

MissBart’stelegramcaughtLawrenceSeldenatthedoorofhishotel；andhavingreadit，heturnedbacktowaitforDorset。Themessagenecessarilyleftlargegapsforconjecture；butallthathehadrecentlyheardandseenmadethesebuttooeasytofillin。Onthewholehewassurprised；forthoughhehadperceivedthatthesituationcontainedalltheelementsofanexplosion，hehadoftenenough，intherangeofhispersonalexperience，seenjustsuchcombinationssubsideintoharmlessness。Still，Dorset’sspasmodictemper，andhiswife’srecklessdisregardofappearances，gavethesituationapeculiarinsecurity；anditwaslessfromthesenseofanyspecialrelationtothecasethanfromapurelyprofessionalzeal，thatSeldenresolvedtoguidethepairtosafety。Whether，inthepresentinstance，safetyforeitherlayinrepairingsodamagedatie，itwasnobusinessofhistoconsider:hehadonly，ongeneralprinciples，tothinkofavertingascandal，andhisdesiretoavertitwasincreasedbyhisfearofitsinvolvingMissBart。Therewasnothingspecificinthisapprehension；hemerelywishedtosparehertheembarrassmentofbeingeversoremotelyconnectedwiththepublicwashingoftheDorsetlinen。

Howexhaustiveandunpleasantsuchaprocesswouldbe，hesawevenmorevividlyafterhistwohours’talkwithpoorDorset。Ifanythingcameoutatall，itwouldbesuchavastunpackingofaccumulatedmoralragsaslefthim，afterhisvisitorhadgone，withthefeelingthathemustflingopenthewindowsandhavehisroomsweptout。Butnothingshouldcomeout；andhappilyforhissideofthecase，thedirtyrags，howeverpiecedtogether，couldnot，withoutconsiderabledifficulty，beturnedintoahomogeneousgrievance。Thetornedgesdidnotalwaysfit——thereweremissingbits，thereweredisparitiesofsizeandcolour，allofwhichitwasnaturallySelden’sbusinesstomakethemostofinputtingthemunderhisclient’seye。ButtoamaninDorset’smoodthecompletestdemonstrationcouldnotcarryconviction，andSeldensawthatforthemomentallhecoulddowastosootheandtemporize，tooffersympathyandtocounselprudence。HeletDorsetdepartchargedtothebrimwiththesensethat，tilltheirnextmeeting，hemustmaintainastrictlynoncommittalattitude；that，inshort，hisshareinthegameconsistedforthepresentinlookingon。Seldenknew，however，thathecouldnotlongkeepsuchviolencesinequilibrium；andhepromisedtomeetDorset，thenextmorning，atanhotelinMonteCarlo。Meanwhilehecountednotalittleonthereactionofweaknessandself-distrustthat，insuchnatures，followsoneveryunwontedexpenditureofmoralforce；andhistelegraphicreplytoMissBartconsistedsimplyintheinjunction:"Assumethateverythingisasusual。"

Onthisassumption，infact，theearlypartofthefollowingdaywaslivedthrough。Dorset，asifinobediencetoLily’simperativebidding，hadactuallyreturnedintimeforalatedinnerontheyacht。Therepasthadbeenthemostdifficultmomentoftheday。Dorsetwassunkinoneoftheabysmalsilenceswhichsocommonlyfollowedonwhathiswifecalledhis"attacks"

thatitwaseasy，beforetheservants，toreferittothiscause；

butBerthaherselfseemed，perverselyenough，littledisposedtomakeuseofthisobviousmeansofprotection。Shesimplyleftthebruntofthesituationonherhusband’shands，asiftooabsorbedinagrievanceofherowntosuspectthatshemightbetheobjectofoneherself。ToLilythisattitudewasthemostominous，becausethemostperplexing，elementinthesituation。Asshetriedtofantheweakflickeroftalk，tobuildup，againandagain，thecrumblingstructureof"appearances，"herownattentionwasperpetuallydistractedbythequestion:"Whatonearthcanshebedrivingat？"TherewassomethingpositivelyexasperatinginBertha’sattitudeofisolateddefiance。Ifonlyshewouldhavegivenherfriendahinttheymightstillhaveworkedtogethersuccessfully；buthowcouldLilybeofuse，whileshewasthusobstinatelyshutoutfromparticipation？Tobeofusewaswhatshehonestlywanted；andnotforherownsakebutfortheDorsets’。Shehadnotthoughtofherownsituationatall:shewassimplyengrossedintryingtoputalittleorderintheirs。Butthecloseoftheshortdrearyeveningleftherwithasenseofefforthopelesslywasted。ShehadnottriedtoseeDorsetalone:shehadpositivelyshrunkfromarenewalofhisconfidences。ItwasBerthawhoseconfidenceshesought，andwhoshouldaseagerlyhaveinvitedherown；andBertha，asifintheinfatuationofself-destruction，wasactuallypushingawayherrescuinghand。

Lily，goingtobedearly，hadleftthecoupletothemselves；anditseemedpartofthegeneralmysteryinwhichshemovedthatmorethananhourshouldelapsebeforesheheardBerthawalkdownthesilentpassageandregainherroom。Themorrow，risingonanapparentcontinuanceofthesameconditions，revealednothingofwhathadoccurredbetweentheconfrontedpair。Onefactaloneoutwardlyproclaimedthechangetheywereallconspiringtoignore；andthatwasthenon-appearanceofNedSilverton。Noonereferredtoit，andthistacitavoidanceofthesubjectkeptitintheimmediateforegroundofconsciousness。Buttherewasanotherchange，perceptibleonlytoLily；andthatwasthatDorsetnowavoidedheralmostaspointedlyashiswife。Perhapshewasrepentinghisrashoutpouringsofthepreviousday；

perhapsonlytrying，inhisclumsyway，toconformtoSelden’scounseltobehave"asusual。"Suchinstructionsnomoremakeforeasinessofattitudethanthephotographer’sbehestto"looknatural"；andinacreatureasunconsciousaspoorDorsetoftheappearancehehabituallypresented，thestruggletomaintainaposewassuretoresultinqueercontortions。

Itresulted，atanyrate，inthrowingLilystrangelyonherownresources。Shehadlearned，onleavingherroom，thatMrs。Dorsetwasstillinvisible，andthatDorsethadlefttheyachtearly；

andfeelingtoorestlesstoremainalone，shetoohadherselfferriedashore。StrayingtowardtheCasino，sheattachedherselftoagroupofacquaintancesfromNice，withwhomshelunched，andinwhosecompanyshewasreturningtotheroomswhensheencounteredSeldencrossingthesquare。Shecouldnot，atthemoment，separateherselfdefinitelyfromherparty，whohadhospitablyassumedthatshewouldremainwiththemtilltheytooktheirdeparture；butshefoundtimeforamomentarypauseofenquiry，towhichhepromptlyreturned:"I’veseenhimagain——he’sjustleftme。"

Shewaitedbeforehimanxiously。"Well？whathashappened？WhatWILLhappen？"

"Nothingasyet——andnothinginthefuture，Ithink。"

"It’sover，then？It’ssettled？You’resure？"

Hesmiled。"Givemetime。I’mnotsure——butI’magooddealsurer。"Andwiththatshehadtocontentherself，andhastenontotheexpectantgrouponthesteps。

Seldenhadinfactgivenhertheutmostmeasureofhissureness，hadevenstretcheditashadetomeettheanxietyinhereyes。

Andnow，asheturnedaway，strollingdownthehilltowardthestation，thatanxietyremainedwithhimasthevisiblejustificationofhisown。Itwasnot，indeed，anythingspecificthathefeared:therehadbeenaliteraltruthinhisdeclarationthathedidnotthinkanythingwouldhappen。Whattroubledhimwasthat，thoughDorset’sattitudehadperceptiblychanged，thechangewasnotclearlytobeaccountedfor。IthadcertainlynotbeenproducedbySelden’sarguments，orbytheactionofhisownsobererreason。Fiveminutes’talksufficedtoshowthatsomealieninfluencehadbeenatwork，andthatithadnotsomuchsubduedhisresentmentasweakenedhiswill，sothathemovedunderitinastateofapathy，likeadangerouslunaticwhohasbeendrugged。Temporarily，nodoubt，howeverexerted，itworkedforthegeneralsafety:thequestionwashowlongitwouldlast，andbywhatkindofreactionitwaslikelytobefollowed。OnthesepointsSeldencouldgainnolight；forhesawthatoneeffectofthetransformationhadbeentoshuthimofffromfreecommunionwithDorset。Thelatter，indeed，wasstillmovedbytheirresistibledesiretodiscusshiswrong；but，thoughherevolvedaboutitwiththesameforlorntenacity，Seldenwasawarethatsomethingalwaysrestrainedhimfromfullexpression。Hisstatewasonetoproducefirstwearinessandthenimpatienceinhishearer；andwhentheirtalkwasover，Seldenbegantofeelthathehaddonehisutmost，andmightjustifiablywashhishandsofthesequel。

ItwasinthismindthathehadbeenmakinghiswaybacktothestationwhenMissBartcrossedhispath；butthough，afterhisbriefwordwithher，hekeptmechanicallyonhiscourse，hewasconsciousofagradualchangeinhispurpose。Thechangehadbeenproducedbythelookinhereyes；andinhiseagernesstodefinethenatureofthatlook，hedroppedintoaseatinthegardens，andsatbroodinguponthequestion。Itwasnaturalenough，inallconscience，thatsheshouldappearanxious:ayoungwomanplaced，inthecloseintimacyofayachting-cruise，betweenacoupleonthevergeofdisaster，couldhardly，asidefromherconcernforherfriends，beinsensibletotheawkwardnessofherownposition。Theworstofitwasthat，ininterpretingMissBart’sstateofmind，somanyalternativereadingswerepossible；

andoneofthese，inSelden’stroubledmind，tooktheuglyformsuggestedbyMrs。Fisher。Ifthegirlwasafraid，wassheafraidforherselforforherfriends？Andtowhatdegreewasherdreadofacatastropheintensifiedbythesenseofbeingfatallyinvolvedinit？TheburdenofoffencelyingmanifestlywithMrs。

Dorset，thisconjectureseemedonthefaceofitgratuitouslyunkind；butSeldenknewthatinthemostone-sidedmatrimonialquarreltherearegenerallycounter-chargestobebrought，andthattheyarebroughtwiththegreateraudacitywheretheoriginalgrievanceissoemphatic。Mrs。FisherhadnothesitatedtosuggestthelikelihoodofDorset’smarryingMissBartif"anythinghappened"；andthoughMrs。Fisher’sconclusionswerenotoriouslyrash，shewasshrewdenoughinreadingthesignsfromwhichtheyweredrawn。Dorsethadapparentlyshownmarkedinterestinthegirl，andthisinterestmightbeusedtocrueladvantageinhiswife’sstruggleforrehabilitation。SeldenknewthatBerthawouldfighttothelastroundofpowder:therashnessofherconductwasillogicallycombinedwithacolddeterminationtoescapeitsconsequences。Shecouldbeasunscrupulousinfightingforherselfasshewasrecklessincourtingdanger，andwhatevercametoherhandatsuchmomentswaslikelytobeusedasadefensivemissile。Hedidnot，asyet，seeclearlyjustwhatcourseshewaslikelytotake，buthisperplexityincreasedhisapprehension，andwithitthesensethat，beforeleaving，hemustspeakagainwithMissBart。Whateverhershareinthesituation——andhehadalwayshonestlytriedtoresistjudgingherbyhersurroundings——howeverfreeshemightbefromanypersonalconnectionwithit，shewouldbebetteroutofthewayofapossiblecrash；andsinceshehadappealedtohimforhelp，itwasclearlyhisbusinesstotellherso。

Thisdecisionatlastbroughthimtohisfeet，andcarriedhimbacktothegamblingrooms，withinwhosedoorshehadseenherdisappearing；butaprolongedexplorationofthecrowdfailedtoputhimonhertraces。Hesawinstead，tohissurprise，NedSilvertonloiteringsomewhatostentatiouslyaboutthetables；

andthediscoverythatthisactorinthedramawasnotonlyhoveringinthewings，butactuallyinvitingtheexposureofthefootlights，thoughitmighthaveseemedtoimplythatallperilwasover，servedrathertodeepenSelden’ssenseofforeboding。

Chargedwiththisimpressionhereturnedtothesquare，hopingtoseeMissBartmoveacrossit，aseveryoneinMonteCarloseemedinevitablytodoatleastadozentimesaday；buthereagainhewaitedvainlyforaglimpseofher，andtheconclusionwasslowlyforcedonhimthatshehadgonebacktotheSabrina。Itwouldbedifficulttofollowherthere，andstillmoredifficult，shouldhedoso，tocontrivetheopportunityforaprivateword；andhehadalmostdecidedontheunsatisfactoryalternativeofwriting，whentheceaselessdioramaofthesquaresuddenlyunrolledbeforehimthefiguresofLordHubertandMrs。Bry。

Hailingthematoncewithhisquestion，helearnedfromLordHubertthatMissBarthadjustreturnedtotheSabrinainDorset’scompany；anannouncementsoevidentlydisconcertingtohimthatMrs。Bry，afteraglancefromhercompanion，whichseemedtoactlikethepressureonaspring，broughtforththepromptproposalthatheshouldcomeandmeethisfriendsatdinnerthatevening——"AtBecassin’s——alittledinnertotheDuchess，"sheflashedoutbeforeLordHuberthadtimetoremovethepressure。

Selden’ssenseoftheprivilegeofbeingincludedinsuchcompanybroughthimearlyintheeveningtothedooroftherestaurant，wherehepausedtoscantheranksofdinersapproachingdownthebrightlylitterrace。There，whiletheBryshoveredwithinoverthelastagitatingalternativesoftheMENU，hekeptwatchfortheguestsfromtheSabrina，whoatlengthroseonthehorizonincompanywiththeDuchess，LordandLadySkiddawandtheStepneys。

FromthisgroupitwaseasyforhimtodetachMissBartonthepretextofamoment’sglanceintooneofthebrilliantshopsalongtheterrace，andtosaytoher，whiletheylingeredtogetherinthewhitedazzleofajeweller’swindow:"Istoppedovertoseeyou——tobegofyoutoleavetheyacht。"

Theeyessheturnedonhimshowedaquickgleamofherformerfear。"Toleave——？Whatdoyoumean？Whathashappened？"

"Nothing。Butifanythingshould，whybeinthewayofit？"

Theglarefromthejeweller’swindow，deepeningthepallourofherface，gavetoitsdelicatelinesthesharpnessofatragicmask。"Nothingwill，Iamsure；butwhilethere’sevenadoubtleft，howcanyouthinkIwouldleaveBertha？"

Thewordsrangoutonanoteofcontempt——wasitpossiblyofcontemptforhimself？Well，hewaswillingtoriskitsrenewaltotheextentofinsisting，withanundeniablethrobofaddedinterest:"Youhaveyourselftothinkof，youknow——"towhich，withastrangefallofsadnessinhervoice，sheanswered，meetinghiseyes:"Ifyouknewhowlittledifferencethatmakes！"

"Oh，well，nothingWILLhappen，"hesaid，moreforhisownreassurancethanforhers；and"Nothing，nothing，ofcourse！"shevaliantlyassented，astheyturnedtoovertaketheircompanions。

Inthethrongedrestaurant，takingtheirplacesaboutMrs。Bry’silluminatedboard，theirconfidenceseemedtogainsupportfromthefamiliarityoftheirsurroundings。HerewereDorsetandhiswifeoncemorepresentingtheircustomaryfacestotheworld，sheengrossedinestablishingherrelationwithanintenselynewgown，heshrinkingwithdyspepticdreadfromthemultipliedsolicitationsoftheMENU。Themerefactthattheythusshowedthemselvestogether，withtheutmostopennesstheplaceafforded，seemedtodeclarebeyondadoubtthattheirdifferenceswerecomposed。Howthisendhadbeenattainedwasstillmatterforwonder，butitwasclearthatforthemomentMissBartrestedconfidentlyintheresult；andSeldentriedtoachievethesameviewbytellinghimselfthatheropportunitiesforobservationhadbeenamplerthanhisown。

Meanwhile，asthedinneradvancedthroughalabyrinthofcourses，inwhichitbecameclearthatMrs。BryhadoccasionallybrokenawayfromLordHubert’srestraininghand，Selden’sgeneralwatchfulnessbegantoloseitselfinaparticularstudyofMissBart。Itwasoneofthedayswhenshewassohandsomethattobehandsomewasenough，andalltherest——hergrace，herquickness，hersocialfelicities——seemedtheoverflowofabounteousnature。Butwhatespeciallystruckhimwasthewayinwhichshedetachedherself，byahundredundefinableshades，fromthepersonswhomostaboundedinherownstyle。Itwasinjustsuchcompany，thefineflowerandcompleteexpressionofthestatesheaspiredto，thatthedifferencescameoutwithspecialpoignancy，hergracecheapeningtheotherwomen’ssmartnessasherfinely-discriminatedsilencesmadetheirchatterdull。ThestrainofthelasthourshadrestoredtoherfacethedeepereloquencewhichSeldenhadlatelymissedinit，andthebraveryofherwordstohimstillflutteredinhervoiceandeyes。Yes，shewasmatchless——itwastheonewordforher；andhecouldgivehisadmirationthefreerplaybecausesolittlepersonalfeelingremainedinit。Hisrealdetachmentfromherhadtakenplace，notattheluridmomentofdisenchantment，butnow，inthesoberafter-lightofdiscrimination，wherehesawherdefinitelydividedfromhimbythecrudenessofachoicewhichseemedtodenytheverydifferenceshefeltinher。Itwasbeforehimagaininitscompleteness——thechoiceinwhichshewascontenttorest:

inthestupidcostlinessofthefoodandtheshowydulnessofthetalk，inthefreedomofspeechwhichneverarrivedatwitandthefreedomofactwhichnevermadeforromance。Thestridentsettingoftherestaurant，inwhichtheirtableseemedsetapartinaspecialglareofpublicity，andthepresenceatitoflittleDabhamofthe"RivieraNotes，"emphasizedtheidealsofaworldwhereconspicuousnesspassedfordistinction，andthesocietycolumnhadbecometherolloffame。

ItwasastheimmortalizerofsuchoccasionsthatlittleDabham，wedgedinmodestwatchfulnessbetweentwobrilliantneighbours，suddenlybecamethecentreofSelden’sscrutiny。Howmuchdidheknowofwhatwasgoingon，andhowmuch，forhispurpose，wasstillworthfindingout？Hislittleeyeswereliketentaclesthrownouttocatchthefloatingintimationswithwhich，toSelden，theairatmomentsseemedthick；thenagainitclearedtoitsnormalemptiness，andhecouldseenothinginitforthejournalistbutleisuretonotetheeleganceoftheladies’gowns。

Mrs。Dorset’s，inparticular，challengedallthewealthofMr。Dabham’svocabulary:ithadsurprisesandsubtletiesworthyofwhathewouldhavecalled"theliterarystyle。"Atfirst，asSeldenhadnoticed，ithadbeenalmosttoopreoccupyingtoitswearer；butnowshewasinfullcommandofit，andwasevenproducinghereffectswithunwontedfreedom。Wasshenot，indeed，toofree，toofluent，forperfectnaturalness？AndwasnotDorset，towhomhisglancehadpassedbyanaturaltransition，toojerkilywaveringbetweenthesameextremes？

Dorsetindeedwasalwaysjerky；butitseemedtoSeldenthattonighteachvibrationswunghimfartherfromhiscentre。

Thedinner，meanwhile，wasmovingtoitstriumphantclose，totheevidentsatisfactionofMrs。Bry，who，thronedinapoplecticmajestybetweenLordSkiddawandLordHubert，seemedinspirittobecallingonMrs。Fishertowitnessherachievement。ShortofMrs。Fisherheraudiencemighthavebeencalledcomplete；fortherestaurantwascrowdedwithpersonsmainlygatheredthereforthepurposeofspectatorship，andaccuratelypostedastothenamesandfacesofthecelebritiestheyhadcometosee。Mrs。Bry，consciousthatallherfeminineguestscameunderthatheading，andthateachonelookedherparttoadmiration，shoneonLilywithallthepent-upgratitudethatMrs。Fisherhadfailedtodeserve。Selden，catchingtheglance，wonderedwhatpartMissBarthadplayedinorganizingtheentertainment。Shedid，atleast，agreatdealtoadornit；andashewatchedthebrightsecuritywithwhichsheboreherself，hesmiledtothinkthatheshouldhavefanciedherinneedofhelp。Neverhadsheappearedmoreserenelymistressofthesituationthanwhen，atthemomentofdispersal，detachingherselfalittlefromthegroupaboutthetable，sheturnedwithasmileandagracefulslantoftheshoulderstoreceivehercloakfromDorset。

ThedinnerhadbeenprotractedoverMr。Bry’sexceptionalcigarsandabewilderingarrayofliqueurs，andmanyoftheothertableswereempty；butasufficientnumberofdinersstilllingeredtogiverelieftotheleave-takingofMrs。Bry’sdistinguishedguests。Thisceremonywasdrawnoutandcomplicatedbythefactthatitinvolved，onthepartoftheDuchessandLadySkiddaw，definitefarewells，andpledgesofspeedyreunioninParis，wheretheyweretopauseandreplenishtheirwardrobesonthewaytoEngland。ThequalityofMrs。Bry’shospitality，andofthetipsherhusbandhadpresumablyimparted，lenttothemanneroftheEnglishladiesageneraleffusivenesswhichshedtherosiestlightovertheirhostess’sfuture。InitsglowMrs。DorsetandtheStepneyswerealsovisiblyincluded，andthewholescenehadtouchesofintimacyworththeirweightingoldtothewatchfulpenofMr。Dabham。

AglanceatherwatchcausedtheDuchesstoexclaimtohersisterthattheyhadjusttimetodashfortheirtrain，andtheflurryofthisdepartureover，theStepneys，whohadtheirmotoratthedoor，offeredtoconveytheDorsetsandMissBarttothequay。

Theofferwasaccepted，andMrs。Dorsetmovedawaywithherhusbandinattendance。MissBarthadlingeredforalastwordwithLordHubert，andStepney，onwhomMr。Brywaspressingafinal，andstillmoreexpensive，cigar，calledout:"Comeon，Lily，ifyou’regoingbacktotheyacht。"

Lilyturnedtoobey；butasshedidso，Mrs。Dorset，whohadpausedonherwayout，movedafewstepsbacktowardthetable。

"MissBartisnotgoingbacktotheyacht，"shesaidinavoiceofsingulardistinctness。

Astartledlookranfromeyetoeye；Mrs。Brycrimsonedtothevergeofcongestion，Mrs。Stepneyslippednervouslybehindherhusband，andSelden，inthegeneralturmoilofhissensations，wasmainlyconsciousofalongingtogripDabhambythecollarandflinghimoutintothestreet。

Dorset，meanwhile，hadsteppedbacktohiswife’sside。Hisfacewaswhite，andhelookedabouthimwithcowedangryeyes。

"Bertha！——MissBart……thisissomemisunderstanding……

somemistake……"