Dora did not answer. She buried her face in the soft pillow, and Ethelclosed the door to the sound of her sobs. But they did not cause her toreturn or to make any foolish promises. She divined their insincerity andtheir motive, and had no mind to take any part in forwarding the latter.And Ruth assured her she had acted wisely. "If trouble should evercome of this friendship," she said, "Dora would very likely complain thatyou had always thrown Mostyn in her way, brought him to her house inNew York, and brought her to him at Rawdon, in England. Marriage issuch a risk, Ethel, but to marry without the courage to adapt oneself. AH!""You think that condition unspeakably hard?""There are no words for it.""Dora was not reticent, I assure you.""I am sorry. A wife's complaints are self- inflicted wounds; scatteredseeds, from which only misery can spring. I hope you will not see heragain at this time.""I made no promise to do so.""And where all is so uncertain, we had better suppose all is right thanthat all is wrong. Even if there was the beginning of wrong, it needs but anaccident to prevent it, and there are so many.""Accidents!""Yes, for accident is God's part in affairs. We call it accident; it wouldbe better to say an interposition.""Dora told me Mostyn intended to buy Rawdon Court in September,and he has even invited the Stanhopes to stay there next summer.""What did you say?""Nothing against it.""Very good. Do you think Mostyn is in London now?""I should not wonder. I am sure Dora is expecting him."In fact, the next morning they met Dora and Basil Stanhope, driving inHyde Park with Mostyn, but the smiling greeting which passed betweenthe parties did not, except in the case of Basil Stanhope, fairly representthe dominant feeling of anyone. As for Stanhope, his nature was so clearand truthful that he would hardly have comprehended a smile which wasintended to veil feelings not to be called either quite friendly or quite