‘Netta, how terrible!’

’Why terrible, Marion?  I knew Henry would make an excellent husband.  Am I not a suitable wife for him?’

[Illustration:  ‘Am I not a suitable wife for Henry?’]

‘You are just perfect, dear—­but you might have been otherwise.’

’That’s exactly what I’m driving at, Marion.  Gladys is an “otherwise.” 
If I deceived Henry, how much easier is it for her to deceive William? 
No, she shan’t marry him.  He’d be wretched.’

Marion smiled.  ’You surely don’t think there’s anything like that between them?’

‘He’s drifting that way if some one doesn’t stop him.’

Again Marion smiled.  ’I tell you it’s impossible.  He couldn’t have got over his passion for me so quickly.’

‘His passion for you,’ I echoed.  ‘My dear, what do you mean?’

Marion then laid down her sewing and began to speak.  I listened amazed, unable at first to credit what she was saying, though gradually I began to understand many things which had hitherto been obscure.

’It’s wonderful to think of his having loved you secretly all this time,’ I marvelled; ’yet why should he take Elizabeth into his confidence rather than myself?  And why didn’t you tell me all this before—­it would have made things so much simpler.’

’At first, not being aware how handsome he could be made, I did not care for him and——­’

‘Do you mean, then, that you no longer dislike him, Marion?’

’On the contrary, dear, I have begun to regard him with—­with feelings of warmth.’

’Then all goes well, it seems.  Now I shall go and speak to Elizabeth about the affair.’

I thought Elizabeth seemed a little uneasy under my questioning, but she reiterated many times:  ’I tell you ’e isn’t ’arf gone on Miss Marryun—­fair mad about ’er ’e is, but ’e told me not to breathe a word about it to a soul.’

‘Well, he’s mad about some one else now,’ I interposed.

Elizabeth looked unduly startled.  ’Oo with?  Don’t say it’s that there Miss ’Arringay ‘oo wos a-settin’ ’er cap so ’ard at ’im the other night?’

I was a little taken aback.  ‘Yes, that’s about it,’ I confessed.

‘Well, upon my soul, the sorcy baggage,’ burst out Elizabeth with unexpected wrath, ‘such imperence after me workin’ an’ plannin’ the way I ’ave.  But she shan’t ’ave ’im.  Look ’ere, ’m, Miss Marryun is just the one fer ‘im.  Can’t it be brought off like?’

I pondered.  ’I’ll do my best, Elizabeth.  If, as you say, he has formed such a strong attachment to Miss Marion, I should like to see them both happy.  You say he was particularly anxious to have her photograph?’

I almost imagined at that moment Elizabeth avoided my eye.  ’Very pertickler,’ she retorted in a muffled voice.

’Very well, then.  I, myself, will restore the photo he replaced.  It will be the first step to an understanding between them.’