Besides, I shall wriggle out." The picture at any rate stirred in her an appreciation that he felt to be sincere.

"I don't see how a man can be kinder to a woman than you are to me." Well, kind was what he wanted to be; yet even while her charming eyes rested on him with the truth of this he none the less had his humour of honesty.

"When I say suspense I mean, you know," he laughed, "suspense about my own case too!" "Oh yes--about your own case too!" It diminished his magnanimity, but she only looked at him the more tenderly.
"Not, however," he went on, "that I want to talk to you about that.
It's my own little affair, and I mentioned it simply as part of Mrs.
Pocock's advantage." No, no; though there was a queer present temptation in it, and his suspense was so real that to fidget was a relief, he wouldn't talk to her about Mrs.Newsome, wouldn't work off on her the anxiety produced in him by Sarah's calculated omissions of reference.

The effect she produced of representing her mother had been produced--and that was just the immense, the uncanny part of it--without her having so much as mentioned that lady.

She had brought no message, had alluded to no question, had only answered his enquiries with hopeless limited propriety.