Elgar kept up an appearance of light-hearted enjoyment; Cecily was less able to disguise her preoccupation.

Mrs.Lessingham seemed to have accepted the inevitable.

Her first annoyance having passed, she was submitting to that personal charm in Elgar which all women sooner or later confessed; her behaviour to him was indulgent, and marked only with a very gentle reserve when he talked too much paradox.
Elgar went to his hotel for dinner, and left the others to themselves through the evening.

The next day was given to wandering about the island.

On the return at sunset, Miriam and Reuben had a long talk together, in which it was made manifest that the "plans" were just as vague as ever.