‘Mr. Mallory.’ Sebastian came into the room, and Adrienne rose, feeling like one in a dream, looking like a person who has received overwhelming news of some kind. She saw Sebastian: she felt that Myles was there--felt it in every fibre of her being, and while Sebastian spoke to her, she was only intensely conscious that Myles was gazing at them both; and she wondered, with an intensity that amounted to pain, what he was thinking of her. She gazed at Sebastian, as he came up to her, looking as if he saw no one but her, with extended hand, and she heard him as he said, ‘Miss Blisset, I little thought before Saturday, that I should have the happiness of meeting you again--in Thanshope!’ With that their hands closed, and her voice said (with a vibration), ‘It is certainly long since we met. I am glad to see you again.’ Myles had risen with a swift, almost unconscious impulse, and was now in the window, leaning against it, and looking into the night, which was now falling fast. He closed his eyes. He felt his own emotion to be almost grotesque in its intensity, but it was so--he could not help it. The devil jealousy had seized his very heart-strings on the instant, and clutched them relentlessly. There was one thing, and one only, that he could do--having no right to call her to account, he could suffer in silence, and speak gently to her--after all, he reminded himself, she had been exquisitely kind to him, and he had no sort of claim upon such kindness. While Myles fought this silent, desperate battle with the feelings which urged him to rush out of the room, and leave those two together, Sebastian was saying, ‘I came to see Mr. Blisset on some business, and his servant asked me to come in here. I fear I disturb you.’ ‘Not at all. May I introduce--but Mr. Heywood tells me he knows you already.’ She turned to Myles, who also turned. His very emotion made him rise to the occasion. Pride and self-esteem, respect and regard for Adrienne, modesty as to his own merits, all urged him to put on an outwardly calm demeanour; and Sebastian, whatever astonishment he might feel, was of course far too civilised to betray it. ‘We have met already to-day, earlier,’ remarked Mr. Mallory, courteously bowing towards the young man, who, on his part, bowed his head gravely and proudly, and wished his employer good evening. If Adrienne had not flushed up, and looked with such startled, conscious eyes, and such a half-excited smile, around her, he could have done even more--he might have been able to force a smile too, but under the circumstances it was physically impossible. Adrienne, turning aside, as if to push forward a chair, looked at him, but in his then state of mind he could not understand the glance; all he could do was to answer it with another, of bitter, clouded, miserable feeling; sorrow, pain, and a sort of premonitory despair.