‘He seems in a great hurry,’ says Mabel turning to Lippa who is looking in exactly the opposite direction to the one Dalrymple has taken.

Her ‘Yes,’ and something in her expression opens Mabel’s eyes to the fact that something is up, however she says nothing just then for Teddy would be sure to hear, but she intends to find out everything.

On the eve of their trip to Folkestone she begins to cross-examine her sister-in-law.

‘Philippa, dear,’ she says as soon as the coffee-cups have been taken away after their dinner and they are left alone.  ’I am going to ask you something, which you must not mind, come nearer.’

Lippa who has been gazing out of the window into the gaslit street below turns slowly, and going up to Mrs Seaton sits down on a stool at her feet, she is looking very lovely in a pale blue tea-gown and the lamp-light falling on her golden hair.

‘Well, Mab,’ she says, ’is it a lecture or good advice, I’m not to mind?’

‘Neither one nor the other,’ is the reply, ’but I want to know if there is anything between you and—­Mr Dalrymple.  Well Lippa?’ as there is no answer for a second—­and then,

‘Nothing,’ she replies.

‘Not at present perhaps,’ suggested Mabel, ‘but hasn’t there been?’

‘Why do you want to know?’ asks Miss Seaton.

‘Well, dear, you see it is awkward, as he comes here so often, and—­’

‘Like all other women you’re dying of curiosity to know; own the truth!’ and after a pause Lippa adds, apparently deeply interested in the point of her shoe, ’If you must know, he did ask me to marry him, but I said I couldn’t,’ here the shoe is drawn out of sight as though it had not found favour in its owner’s eyes.  Mabel is astonished, tries to see Lippa’s face and not succeeding says,

‘Do you mean that you do not like him?’

Not like him, oh, to be accused of that, not like him, when poor little soul she is desperately in love with him.  Oh, Mabel!  Mabel! why can’t you guess? a few words from you would put everything right, and make two people happy, but such is life!

‘He has not much to live on,’ says Lippa evasively.

‘Now, child, you don’t think you are going to take me in like that,’ and Mrs Seaton becomes quite vehement.  ’What do you care about money, or know about it either.’

‘I know there are girls who can fall in love,’ is the answer.  ’I knew one once who told me her idea of bliss was love in a cottage, but that wouldn’t suit me at all.  I shouldn’t know how to get on without heaps of things that I could not have, if I married a poor man.’  Lippa’s fingers are doing great damage to the ribbons which are attached to her gown, and till they are reduced to a crumpled mess, she continues to take the beauty out of them, by folding and refolding them.  Mabel is only half convinced and says no more to Philippa, but a long letter is written to dear George, begging him to come to them soon, and he enjoying himself vastly shooting and fishing does not come, and time passes on.