‘Of course not,’ Alma murmured mechanically, her eyes wandering.

‘Are you likely, I wonder, to see him in the next few days?’

‘I hardly know —­ I think not.’

‘Then let me —­ will you? —­ let me contrive a chance meeting here.’

Loathing herself, and burning with hatred of the woman, in whose hands she felt powerless, Alma gave an assenting nod.

’I am sure it will be a measure of prudence, dear.  I thought possibly you might be seeing him at Mrs. Carnaby’s.  He is there sometimes, I believe?’

Alma looked at the speaker, detecting some special significance in her inquiry.  She replied that Redgrave of course called upon Mrs. Carnaby —­ but not often, she thought.

‘No?’ threw out Mrs. Strangeways.  ’I fancied he was there a good deal; I don’t quite know why.’

‘Have you met him there?’

’No.  It’s quite a long time since I called —­ one has so many people to see.’

Alma knew that Sibyl was now holding aloof from Mrs. Strangeways, and it seemed not improbable that this had excited some ill-feeling in the latter.  But her own uneasiness regarding Sibyl’s relations with Redgrave, uneasiness never quite subdued; made her quick to note, and eager to explore, any seeming suspicion on that subject in another’s mind.  Mrs. Strangeways was a lover of scandal, a dangerous woman, unworthy of confidence in any matter whatsoever.  Common prudence, to say nothing of loyalty to a friend, bade Alma keep silence; but the subtly-interrogating smile was fixed upon her; hints continued to fall upon her ear, and an evil fascination at length compelled her to speak.

‘You know,’ she said, as if mentioning an unimportant piece of news, ‘that Mr. Redgrave has joined Mr. Carnaby in business?’

The listener’s face exhibited a surprise of which there was no mistaking the sincerity.  Her very features seemed to undergo a change as the smile vanished from them; they became on the instant hard and old, lined with sudden wrinkles, the muscles tense, every line expressive of fierce vigilance.

‘In business? —­ what business?’

’Oh, I thought you would have heard of it.  Perhaps Mr. Redgrave doesn’t care to have it known.’

‘My dear, I am discretion itself.’

Everything was told, down to the last detail of which Alma had any knowledge.  As she listened and questioned, Mrs. Strangeways resumed her smiling manner, but could not regain the perfect self-command with which she had hitherto gossiped.  That she attached great importance to this news was evident, and the fact of its being news to her brought fresh trouble into Alma’s thoughts.

‘How very interesting!’ exclaimed Mrs. Strangeways at length.  ’Another instance of Mr. Redgrave’s kindness to his friends.  Of course, it was done purely out of kindness, and that is why he doesn’t speak of it.  Quite amusing, isn’t it, to think of him as partner in a business of that kind.  I wonder whether ——­’