\"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。Completelyashehad
detachedhimselffromher，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……\"