In the stillness of the house she could feel her heart beating, measuring out time, measuring out her pain. ii That winter Adeline and John Severn came down to Wyck Manor for Christmas and the New Year. Adeline was sitting in the drawing-room with Maisie in the heavy hour before tea time. All afternoon she had been trying to talk to Maisie, and she was now bored. Jerrold's wife had always bored her. She couldn't imagine why Jerrold had married her when it was so clear that he was not in love with her. "It's funny," she said at last, "staying in your own house when it isn't your own any more." Maisie hoped that Adeline would treat the house as if it were her own. "I probably shall. Don't be surprised if you hear me giving orders to the servants. I really cannot consider that Wilkins belongs to anybody but me." Maisie hoped that Adeline wouldn't consider that he didn't. And there was a pause. Adeline looked at the clock and saw that there was still another half-hour till tea time. How could they possibly fill it in? Then, suddenly, from a thought of Jerrold so incredibly married to Maisie, Adeline's mind wandered to Anne. "Is Anne dining here tonight?" she said. And Maisie said yes, she thought Adeline and Mr. Severn would like to see as much as possible of Anne. And Adeline said that was very kind of Maisie, and was bored again. She saw nothing before her but more and more boredom; and the subject of Anne alone held out the prospect of relief. She flew to it as she would have fled from any danger. "By the way, Maisie, if I were you I wouldn't let Anne see too much of Jerrold." "Why not?" "Because, my dear, it isn't good for her." "I should have thought," Maisie said, "it was very good for both of them, as they like each other. I should never dream of interfering with their friendship. That's the way people get themselves thoroughly disliked. I don't want Jerry to dislike me, or Anne, either. I like them to feel that if he _is_ married they can go on being friends just the same." "Oh, of course, if you like it----" "I do like it," said Maisie, firmly. Firm opposition was a thing that Adeline's wilfulness could never stand. It always made her either change the subject or revert to her original statement. This time she reverted. "My point was that it isn't fair to Anne." "Why isn't it?" "Because she's in love with him." "That," said Maisie, with increasing decision, "I do _not_ believe. I've never seen any signs of it." "You're the only person who hasn't then. It sticks out of her. If it was a secret I shouldn't have told you." "It is a secret to me," said Maisie, "so I think you might let it alone." "You ought to know it if nobody else does. We've all of us known about Anne for ages. She was always quite mad about Jerrold. It was funny when she was a little thing; but it's rather more serious now she's thirty." "She isn't thirty," said Maisie, contradictiously.