Oh, Lily, you'll never do anything if you're not serious!" Miss Bart accepted this exhortation in a spirit of the purest impartiality.

Why should she have been angry?
It was the voice of her own conscience which spoke to her through Mrs.Trenor's reproachful accents.
But even to her own conscience she must trump up a semblance of defence.
"I only took a day off--I thought he meant to stay on all this week, and I knew Mr.Selden was leaving this morning." Mrs.Trenor brushed aside the plea with a gesture which laid bare its weakness.
"He did mean to stay--that's the worst of it.

It shows that he's run away from you; that Bertha's done her work and poisoned him thoroughly." Lily gave a slight laugh.

"Oh, if he's running I'll overtake him!" Her friend threw out an arresting hand.

"Whatever you do, Lily, do nothing!" Miss Bart received the warning with a smile.