Had she not within the very last hour given a masterly example of her powers in this line?  For when he, Carteret, and Charles Verity, strolling in all innocence along the shore path back from St. Augustin, had to their infinite astonishment met her and her attendant swains face to face, she hadn’t turned a hair.  Her nerve was invincible.  After clasping the hand of each in turn with the prettiest enthusiasm, she had introduced—­“My husband, General Frayling—­Mr. Marshall Wace, his cousin,” with the utmost composure.  Thus making over to them any awkwardness which might be going and effectually ridding herself of it.

Carteret felt his jaw drop for the moment.—­He had heard of John Pereira’s death two years ago, and welcomed the news on her account, since, if report said true, that dashing cavalry officer had taken to evil courses.  Gambling and liquor made him a nuisance, not to say disgrace to his regiment, and how much greater a one to his wife.  Poor thing, she must have had a lot to endure and that of the most sordid!  It wasn’t nice to think about.  Clearly Pereira’s removal afforded matter for thankfulness.

But of this speedy reconstruction on her part, in the shape of a third matrimonial venture, he had heard never a word.  How would Verity take it?—­Apparently with a composure as complete as her own.—­And then the inherent humour of the position, and her immense skill and coolness in the treatment of it, came uppermost.  Carteret felt bound to support her and help her out by accepting her little old General—­lean-shanked and livery, with pompously outstanding chest, aggressive white moustache and mild appealing eye—­as a matter of course.  Bound to buck him up, and encourage him in the belief he struck a stranger as the terrible fellow he would so like to be, and so very much feared that he wasn’t.  Carteret’s large charity came into play in respect of the superannuated warrior; who presented a pathetically inadequate effect, specially when seen, as now, alongside Charles Verity.  Surely the contrast must hit the fair Henrietta rather hard?  Carteret expended himself in kindly civilities, therefore, going so far as to say “sir” once or twice in addressing Frayling.  Whereat the latter’s timorous step grew almost jaunty and his chest more than ever inflated.

If Henrietta carried things off to admiration in the first amazement of impact, she carried them off equally to admiration in her meeting with Damaris.  It was the prettiest little scene in the world.

For reaching up and placing her hands on the girl’s shoulders her chiselled face—­distinct yet fragile in outline as some rare cameo—­suffused for once with transparent, shell-like pink, she kissed Damaris on either cheek.

“Ah! precious child, most precious child,” she fondly murmured.  “What an enchanting surprise!  How little I imagined such a joy was in store for me when I came out this afternoon!”

And louder, for the benefit of the assistants.