Had she told the whole truth?
How long had this been going on?
And if the soulless Van Loo had deserted her now, was it not, perhaps, the miserable ending of an intrigue rather than its beginning?
Had she been as great a dupe of this woman as the husband before her?
A new and double consciousness came over her that for a moment prevented her from meeting his honest eyes.
She felt the shame of being an accomplice mingled with a fierce joy at the idea of a climax that might separate him from his wife forever.
Luckily he did not notice it, but with a continued sense of relief threw himself back in his chair, and glancing familiarly round the walls broke into his youthful laugh.

"Lord! how I remember this room in the old days.

It was Kitty's own private sitting-room, you know, and I used to think it looked just as fresh and pretty as she.

I used to think her crayon drawing wonderful, and still more wonderful that she should have that unnecessary talent when it was quite enough for her to be just 'Kitty.' You know, don't you, how you feel at those times when you're quite happy in being inferior"-- He stopped a moment with a sudden recollection that Mrs.Horncastle's marriage had been notoriously unhappy.

"I mean," he went on with a shy little laugh and an innocent attempt at gallantry which the very directness of his simple nature made atrociously obvious,--"I mean what you've made lots of young fellows feel.