“Mr. Kennedy is not likely to say anything.”

“One cannot tell.  And when I hear that a woman is separated from her husband, I always think that she must have been imprudent.  It may be uncharitable, but I think it is most safe so to consider.”

“As far as I have heard the circumstances, Lady Laura was quite right,” said Phineas.

“It may be so.  Gentlemen will always take the lady’s part,—­of course.  But I should be very sorry to have a daughter separated from her husband,—­very sorry.”

Phineas, who had nothing now to gain from Lady Baldock’s favour, left her abruptly, and went on again.  He had a great desire to see Lady Laura and Violet together, though he could hardly tell himself why.  He had not seen Miss Effingham since his return from Ireland, and he thought that if he met her alone he could hardly have talked to her with comfort; but he knew that if he met her with Lady Laura, she would greet him as a friend, and speak to him as though there were no cause for embarrassment between them.  But he was so far disappointed, that he suddenly encountered Violet alone.  She had been leaning on the arm of Lord Baldock, and Phineas saw her cousin leave her.  But he would not be such a coward as to avoid her, especially as he knew that she had seen him.  “Oh, Mr. Finn!” she said, “do you see that?”

“See what?”

“Look; There is Mr. Kennedy.  We had heard that it was possible, and Laura made me promise that I would not leave her.”  Phineas turned his head, and saw Mr. Kennedy standing with his back bolt upright against a door-post, with his brow as black as thunder.  “She is just opposite to him, where he can see her,” said Violet.  “Pray take me to her.  He will think nothing of you, because I know that you are still friends with both of them.  I came away because Lord Baldock wanted to introduce me to Lady Mouser.  You know he is going to marry Miss Mouser.”

Phineas, not caring much about Lord Baldock and Miss Mouser, took Violet’s hand upon his arm, and very slowly made his way across the room to the spot indicated.  There they found Lady Laura alone, sitting under the upas-tree influence of her husband’s gaze.  There was a concourse of people between them, and Mr. Kennedy did not seem inclined to make any attempt to lessen the distance.  But Lady Laura had found it impossible to move while she was under her husband’s eyes.

“Mr. Finn,” she said, “could you find Oswald?  I know he is here.”

“He has gone,” said Phineas.  “I was speaking to him downstairs.”

“You have not seen my father?  He said he would come.”

“I have not seen him, but I will search.”

“No;—­it will do no good.  I cannot stay.  His carriage is there, I know,—­waiting for me.”  Phineas immediately started off to have the carriage called, and promised to return with as much celerity as he could use.  As he went, making his way much quicker through the crowd than he had done when he had no such object for haste, he purposely avoided the door by which Mr. Kennedy had stood.  It would have been his nearest way, but his present service, he thought, required that he should keep aloof from the man.  But Mr. Kennedy passed through the door and intercepted him in his path.