30/39 When I showed how surprised I was, he spoke very kindly, and wanted me to have time to think.' 'But, dearest, you say you were surprised. You hadn't thought of such a thing--I'm sure I hadn't. How could you say "yes" at once ?' 'But have I done wrong, Lyddy ?' Lydia was again busy with conjecture, in woman's way rapidly reading secrets by help of memory and intuition. She connected this event with what Mary Bower had reported to her of Ackroyd. If it were indeed true that Ackroyd no longer made pretence of loyalty to his old love, would not Grail's knowledge of that change account for his sudden abandonment of disguise? |