‘I couldn’t marry him—­I didn’t love him.’

She turned her face upon the pillow.  Mrs. Ormonde touched her with kind hand, and, when she saw that the girl could tell no more, tried to soothe her.

’I understand now, Thyrza.  I know it must have been a great trouble that drove you to this.  I will do nothing that you don’t wish.  But we must let Lyddy know that you are in safety.  Suppose you write a letter and tell her that you have been ill, but that you are quite well again, and with friends.  You needn’t put any address on it, and you had better not mention my name.  It will be enough for the present to relieve her mind.’

‘Yes, I’ll do that, Mrs. Ormonde, if I can write.’

’You will be able to, very soon.  It would frighten Lyddy, if the letter came to her written in a strange hand.’

Mrs. Ormonde made up her mind not to let it be known that she was in communication with Thyrza.  Much was still dubious, but clearly it would be the wise course to avoid the possibility of Egremont’s discovering Thyrza’s place of abode.  For the sake of the long future, a little more must be borne in the present.  She had more than Thyrza’s interests to keep in mind.  Egremont’s happiness was also at stake, and that, after all, was the first concern with her.  By prudent management, perhaps the lives of both could be saved from this seeming wreck, and sped upon their several ways—­ways surely very diverse.

But Thyrza was troubled with desire to ask something.  When tears had heightened the relief of having told as much as she might, she asked timidly: 

’Do you know if Mr. Grail has gone to the library—­Mr. Egremont’s library?’

‘I have not heard.  Could he go after this happening, Thyrza?’

‘Yes,’ she replied eagerly, ’he would go just the same.  Why shouldn’t he?  It wouldn’t prevent that, just because I didn’t marry him.  He would go and live there with Mrs. Grail, his mother.  I said, when I wrote to Lyddy, that he’d go to the library just the same.  There was no reason why he shouldn’t, Mrs. Ormonde.’

She grew so agitated that Mrs. Ormonde, whilst asking herself what further light this threw on the matter, endeavoured to remove her trouble.

’Then no doubt he has gone, Thyrza.  We shall hear all about it very soon.’

’You think he really has?  We were to have been away for a week, and then have gone to live at the library.  Haven’t you heard anything from—­’

‘From whom, dear?’

’Anything from Mr. Egremont?  He was beginning to put the books on the shelves—­I was told about that.  It was all ready for Gilbert to go and begin.  Haven’t you heard about it, Mrs. Ormonde?’

’I’ve been away from home, you see.  No doubt there are letters for me.’