her letter. "I can't believe that it is due to not wearing flannel,
Debbie. It's your splendid vitality--your being so different from
other people--"

"Nothing of the sort! You try it. Not just now, of course, with winter
beginning, but when warm weather comes again--"

And so on. The hostess broke in upon their TETE-A-TETE while they were
still engrossed in this interesting topic. She was drawn into it, and
made a disciple of by Deb, who attributed all her own blooming health
and practical youthfulness to linen underclothing, combined with plenty
of fresh air. And after all, since letter-writing was hopeless, she did
go out to lunch with the guns. Claud remained alone and disconsolate by
the library fire. She was due to leave the house next day, and
left, although conscious of a strange hankering to stay; and during the
interval gave Mr Dalzell no further opportunity to talk about his
bronchitis--and other things. He was not aware that she was to go so
soon until she was gone; and then he found himself with livelier
feelings than had stirred his languid being for many a day. He was not
only annoyed and disappointed at being deprived of the refreshment of
her stimulating society; he was incensed with her mode of departure,
which seemed to imply an intention to evade him.

"Does she still think that I am after her money?" he asked himself,
with scorn of her mean suspiciousness. "Just because I was magnanimous
enough to ignore the past!"

He went down south, to play a little at Monte Carlo and cruise a little
in the Mediterranean--to kill time through the detestable winter,
which made itself felt wherever he was; and she went to London to see