Captain Vidall had, in fact, been out of the country, had only been back a week, and had only heard of Frank Armour's mesalliance from Lambert at an At Home forty-eight hours before.

Mrs.Townley guessed what was really at the bottom of Marion's occasional bitterness, and, piecing together many little things dropped casually by her friend, had come to the conclusion that the happiness of two people was at stake.
When Marion shook hands with Captain Vidall she had herself exceedingly well under control.

She looked at him in slight surprise, and casually remarked that they had not chanced to meet lately in the run of small-and-earlies.

She appeared to be unconscious that he had been out of the country, and also that she had been till very recently indeed at Greyhope.

He hastened to assure her that he had been away, and to lay siege to this unexpected barrier.