He had remained away for what seemed to him an extraordinarily long time. He was afraid that she was slipping out of his life, without even noticing it. Stopping away until she missed him was a complete failure, since she _didn't_ miss him. And the day was approaching for the party Mary had consented to give. He knew that Bertha had accepted but was afraid she didn't mean to come. That would be too sickening! To have all that worry with Mary, all that silly trouble and fuss for a foolish entertainment that he detested, all for nothing at all! And Mary was secretly enjoying the fact that she felt absolutely certain Percy would never let her come to Nigel's house. She did not suppose Percy had guessed the writer of the letters; but he must have thought his wife was talked about, and some effect certainly they had had; for in the last few weeks, she happened to know for a fact, Nigel had neither called on or met Mrs. Kellynch. This afternoon she knew nothing of, for her suspicions were beginning to fade, and she was not, at present, having him followed. Nigel had taken his chance and dropped in to tea and found luck was on his side--Bertha had just come in from a drive with Madeline. "It's all very well," he answered, "to say you admire her conduct, her bravery, and all that! Whom had she to fight against? Only her mother, whom she isn't a bit afraid of, and Charlie, who, poor chap, is more afraid of her. The engagement wasn't even public before she broke it off." "Yes; but, Nigel, it was very frank of her to tell everything so openly to Charlie. And now, poor girl, she's very unhappy, but very courageous--she's absolutely resolved never to marry. She says she's lost her Rupert by her own faults, and it serves her right." "And suppose Rupert goes teaching English to an Italian girl at Venice, or gives her history lessons, or anything? Now he's once thought of marrying, he may marry his third pupil. Wouldn't Charlie have a chance then?" "Never, unfortunately," Bertha replied. "Do you think she'd wait on the chance that Rupert might have a divorce?" "Nigel, how horrid you are to sneer like that. You never appreciated Madeline!" "I think I did, my dear, considering I was especially keen on her marrying my brother, even when I knew she liked somebody else." "Oh, that was only for him." "Or, perhaps, do you think a little for me? I might have felt if my brother married your greatest friend that we were sort of relations," he said, with a laugh. Bertha glanced at the clock. "You can't send me away just this minute," he said. "You like honesty and frankness, and I've honestly come to ask you--are you coming to my party?" Bertha paused a moment. "Why?" she said. "Do you very particularly want me to?" "Very. And I'll tell you the reason. It's to please Mary." "Why should Mary care?"