“Oh, yes, the usual little boats.” “I’ve not missed much--nothing strange or uncommon?” “Oh, yes, there was,” began Mrs. Hesketh, speaking with rash significance; but a pressure from her friend’s hand restrained further explanation, and she muttered, “Of course, it was _all_ a novelty to me.” Had Cara not been so intensely absorbed in her own amusing reflections, she might have marvelled at the unusual silence of her two companions. Scarcely a word was exchanged, as the boat raced across the moon-flooded lake in the direction of their distant destination. CHAPTER XXXI Two days before the fête, Mrs. Hesketh had made the unwelcome discovery, that Mrs. and Miss Plassy were again her fellow guests. Many years had elapsed since they met at the Californie, Cannes; but her memory was only too retentive. There was no forgetting the tall, faded woman with a stoop, and the agreeable, gushing daughter. From her shady seat in the grounds, she had witnessed their arrival; and as one after the other, the ladies descended from the hotel bus, she was sensible of a distinct, and disagreeable shock. Supposing the Plassys were to meet and recognise Letty?--Letty, so little changed! Undoubtedly Mrs. Plassy was a conscientious student of the daily press; would she proclaim to all and sundry that here in seclusion and sheep’s clothing was the notorious divorcée, who had kidnapped her child? And if so, what then? As regarded herself, she would infinitely prefer to ignore these birds of Passage and of Prey; but for her friend’s sake, it behoved her to walk warily, conceal their arrival from her, and at all hazards keep them in ignorance of Letty’s vicinity. As might be expected, Mrs. Plassy’s first duty on arriving at an hotel, was to scrutinise the list of guests. As her eye travelled over an open page in the Visitors’ Book of the Paradis, her attention was arrested by the name of ‘Hesketh.’ ‘Mrs. Carlton Hesketh and maid. England.’ Yes, it must be the same; a hateful, supercilious woman, whom it had been impossible to placate; a woman who declined to approach when a vacant seat near Mrs. Plassy was patted invitingly, and when endowed with a card, and address, made no appropriate return. Such a creature was altogether insupportable, and she decided to ignore her existence. However, this amiable intention was frustrated by Mrs. Hesketh coming up to her in the lounge, and claiming her acquaintance. She was actually quite gracious and friendly, and made flattering enquiries respecting her health, and her plans. (It was good news to the hypocritical widow, that the Plassys were moving on to Lucerne in a day or two; they were merely stopping at the Paradis awaiting the arrival of a friend.)