"But I do mind," said Mabel in cold, awe-struck tones. "That’s the awful part. And it’s nothing but the smallness of Robin that has taught me, Mr. Symington is the only man worth knowing in the whole earth." She clasped her hands in a hopeless way. "And he has been sent away, banished, by the very man who should have made it impossible for me to see any good quality in any one else except himself." "Who will play Mr. Meredith’s accompaniments now?" Elma asked. "Why they can’t get on without you, dear." She still believed that just as plays were arranged, so should the affairs of Mabel come back to their original placidity. "I shall never play another note for Robin Meredith," said Mabel. Elma could not yet doubt but that Robin would come directly he knew how satisfactorily he had disposed of his rival. One hoped that Mr. Symington had only explained so far to Mabel. That afternoon they were to meet Isobel, so that every one was more or less occupied, and always on this same evening of the week, Friday, the Merediths were at an open "at home" which the friends of the Leightons attended at the White House. The question was, would the Merediths come? Mabel did not seem to care whether they came or not. She sat, crushing the letter and not looking at Elma. "Elma dear," she said at last, "I can’t stand this. I shall tell papa. Mamma will only say ’I told you so’ for our having been such friends with the Merediths. But I can’t bear that she shouldn’t know I’m not ashamed of anything," she caught her breath with a slight sob. "But I’m done with Robin." It seemed magnificent to Elma that for her own honour she should jeopardize so much. Men like Mr. Meredith were so rare in Ridgetown. Yet when she asked her, couldn’t she still admire Robin, Mabel said very truthfully then "No." Elma would have liked to say that it didn’t matter about Mr. Symington. "Robin will never enter this house again," Mabel said with quivering lip. But he came--several times. CHAPTER XV The Arrival The 4.50 train hammered and pounded in a jerkily driven manner to Ridgetown. It was hot, and most of the windows lay open in the endeavour to catch any air that had escaped being stifled in smoke and the dust of iron. Miss Meredith occupied a first-class carriage together with two people. One, an old gentleman who travelled daily and who did not count, the other a dark-eyed girl of pale complexion. She wore irreproachably fitting tweeds, and as though to contradict the severity of their trim appearance, a very flamboyant red hat. It was tip-tilted in a smart way over her nose, and had an air of seeming to make every other hat within eyeshot scream dejectedly, "I come from the country."