"I have just told Florence I would go," Imogen answered quietly. "I met her in the hall. She said she had undertaken to look after me. You know I can't skate a bit, Trixie." "Promised Major Winchester to take care of her, you see," whispered Mabella to Mrs Wentworth, with a smile. And for the life of her, Mrs Wentworth could not repress a certain self-consciousness in her "Perhaps so," in reply. How sardonic were Mabella's inward chuckles of satisfaction! "It is too good to be true almost, Trixie," she told her semi-confidante that morning. "Revenged! I should think so, indeed--never was anything so neat in this world." But beyond this, not one word would she say. And in spite of Imogen's warnings and expressed misgivings, ere the day was many hours older, Miss Forsyth was pretty fairly in possession of all she wanted to know. "She is so sympathising, and interested in Imogen," thought Mrs Wentworth, "and I cannot tell what is absolutely untrue." But when after events had caused her to qualify Miss Forsyth's character with very different adjectives, she found it impossible to recall any words of that astute young woman's which, when repeated, could be fairly said to endorse or strengthen her own belief as to Major Winchester's attitude towards Imogen. On the contrary, little phrases literally expressive of doubt or perplexity, though contradicted even while uttered by her tone and smile, returned to her memory. "Of course, _I_ cannot give an opinion, whatever I may _think_." "No, Major Winchester cannot be called a flirt, and every one speaks of him as a most honourable man; but _I_ am not in his confidence, and one can only judge by what one sees." "I have been _told_ of some attachment or engagement of old standing, but then one knows how such things often end,"--and so on, all providing a more or less safe shelter for Mabella should she ever be brought to book for her treachery. And the next two or three days passed like a confused dream to Imogen herself. There were times when she felt girlishly exultant and elated; times when she was half inclined to entreat her mother to keep to their programme (for the original term of their visit expired two days after the theatricals) and leave The Fells before Major Winchester's return; times when she longed to see him and test her own feelings; times when she dreaded meeting him again more than she could express. But with the obstinacy which I have before alluded to, on one point Mrs Wentworth was immovable. Leave The Fells before his return she absolutely would not. In vain Imogen pleaded that if he "really meant it," he could follow them, and that it would be both more dignified and "much more comfortable," to meet again elsewhere.