Maud concurred to the extent of the remark: " Well,
my dear, you re better than nothing." To-night,
furthermore, it came up for Milly that Aunt Maud
had something particular in mind. Mrs. String-
ham, before adjourning with her, had gone off for
some shawl or other accessory, and Kate, as if a lit
tle impatient for their withdrawal, had wandered out
to the balcony, where she hovered, for the time, un
seen, though with scarce more to look at than the
dim London stars and the cruder glow, up the street,
on a corner, of a small public-house, in front of
which a fagged cab-horse was thrown into relief.
Mrs. Lowder made use of the moment: Milly felt
as soon as she had spoken that what she was doing
was somehow for use.

"Dear Susan tells me that you saw, in America,
Mr. Densher whom I ve never till now, as you may
have noticed, asked you about. But do you mind at
last, in connection with him, doing something for
me? " She had lowered her fine voice to a depth,
though speaking with all her rich glibness; and
Milly, after a small sharpness of surprise, was al
ready guessing the sense of her appeal. " Will you
name him, in any way you like, to her " and Aunt
Maud gave a nod at the window; " so that you may
perhaps find out whether he's back?"

Ever so many things, for Milly, fell into line at
this; it was a wonder, she afterwards thought, that
she could be conscious of so many at once. She
smiled hard, however, for them all. " But I don't

[[288]]

p287 _ -chap- _ toc-1 _ p288w _ toc-2 _ +chap+ _ p289

v?