During the journey it lingered in his ear; he sat in the corner of the railway-carriage with his eyes closed, abstracted, on purpose to prolong the reverberation.

If it were not true it was at least, as the Italians have it, ben trovato, and it was wonderful how well it bore thinking of.

It bears telling less well; but I can at least give a hint of it.

The theory that Angela hated him had evaporated in her presence, and another of a very different sort had sprung into being.

It fitted a great many of the facts, it explained a great many contradictions, anomalies, mysteries, and it accounted for Miss Vivian's insisting upon her mother's leaving Blanquais at a few hours' notice, even better than the theory of her resentment could have done.