came back, taking up her destiny again as if she had
been able by a wave or two of her wings to place
herself briefly in sight of an alternative to it. What
ever it was it had showed in this brief interval as
better than the alternative; and it now presented it
self altogether in the image and in the place in which
she had left it. The image was that of her being,
as Lord Mark had declared, a success. This de
pended more or less of course on his idea of the thing
into which at present, however, she wouldn't go.
But, renewing soon, she had asked him what he
meant then that Mrs. Lowder would do with her,
and he had replied that this might safely be left.
"She ll get back," he pleasantly said, " her money."
He could say it too which was singular without
affecting her either as vulgar or as " nasty "; and
he had soon explained himself by adding: " Nobody
here, you know, does anything for nothing."

"Ah, if you mean that we shall reward her as
hard as ever we can, nothing is more certain. But
she's an idealist," Milly continued, " and ideal
ists, in the long run, I think, don't feel that they
lose."

Lord Mark seemed, within the limits of his en
thusiasm, to find this charming. " Ah, she strikes
you as an idealist?"

"She idealises us, my friend and me, absolutely.
She sees us in a light," said Milly. " That's all I ve
got to hold on by. So don't deprive me of it."

"I wouldn't for the world. But do you think," he

[[178]]

p177 _ -chap- _ toc-1 _ p178w _ toc-2 _ +chap+ _ p179

v?