"So!" Then to himself he added: "Evidently between my wife and this woman there was no love lost." He seemed to consider for a few moments, and then he said: "But tell me this, Mrs. Jenwyn: Did Anna seem to take to young Ormsby in the way you think my wife would have liked her to do--that is to say, did he succeed in entangling her affections? For I have no doubt he was ready enough to follow up his sister's precious scheme." "That is more than I can say, sir, with any degree of certainty. Sometimes I am inclined to think one thing, and sometimes another. Miss Anna is not an easy person to read." "Not an easy person to read? One of the most transparent and simple minded girls in existence." A thin smile flickered for a moment over Mrs. Jenwyn's bloodless features. She had a soft, level voice, which, while it fell soothingly on the ear, was not without a certain penetrative quality of its own. "Excuse me, sir, but you don't know so much of her as I do, or you would scarcely say that. You think her transparent and easy to read, whereas there are depths in her character which not even I, who am with her every day and all day, have yet succeeded in sounding. You can never make sure beforehand of what she will either say or do in reference to any given subject. In short, Miss Anna is a law unto herself." Drelincourt looked puzzled and only half convinced. It was not pleasant to him to be told that he had so completely misread the character of his seeming simple minded sister. "It's a pity you did not give me a hint at the time of what was going forward," he remarked, after a momentary pause. "Young Mr. Ormsby's visit had nearly come to an end before I had anything more than vague suspicions to go upon. And the next thing I heard was that his regiment was presently going abroad. After that it seemed to me all further danger was at an end, and I came to the conclusion that my wisest plan would be to keep my discovery to myself." "I presume you have satisfied yourself that no correspondence has passed between Lieutenant Ormsby and Anna?" "On that point I am quite satisfied." "Does she talk much, or at all, about him?" "I have not heard her even mention his name during the last month or more." "Then I suppose all there is left me to do is to hope for the best, and to trust that no real harm has been done?" "If signs go for anything, sir, I am certainly inclined to believe that Miss Anna is still heart whole and fancy free. But, as I have already remarked, her character is not an easy one to read. Of course, if Mr. Guy were to appear again on the scene, I could not answer for what might happen." "There is not much fear of that--now," said Mr. Drelincourt significantly. "It is not at all likely that he and Anna will ever set eyes on each other again." He rose and pushed back his chair.