and have in an instant the world for her enemy. She must consent to be
annihilated, and must have no feelings; particularly no mind. The mind
is the danger for her. If she has a mind alive, she will certainly push
for the position to exercise it, and run the risk of a classing with
Nature's created mates for reptile men.

Besides, Lady Ormont appeared, in the company of her friend Selina
Collett, not worse than rather too thoughtful; not distinctly unhappy.
And she was conversable, smiling. She might have had an explanation with
my lord, accepting excuses--or, who knows? taking the blame, and offering
them. Weakness is pliable. So pliable is it, that it has been known for
a crack of the masterly whip to fling off the victim and put on the
culprit! Ay, but let it be as it may with Lady Ormont, Aminta is of a
different composition. Aminta's eyes of the return journey to London
were haunting lights, and lured him to speculate; and for her sake he
rejected the thought that for him they meant anything warmer than the
passing thankfulness, though they were a novel assurance to him of her
possession beneath her smothering cloud of the power to resolve, and show
forth a brilliant individuality.

The departure of the ladies and my lord in the travelling carriage for
the house on the Upper Thames was passably sweetened to Weyburn by the
command to him to follow in a day or two, and continue his work there
until he left England. Aminta would not hear of an abandonment of the
Memoirs. She spoke on the subject to my lord as to a husband pardoned.

She was not less affable and pleasant with him out of Weyburn's hearing.
My lord earned her gratitude for his behaviour to Selina Collett, to whom
he talked interestedly of her favourite pursuit, as he had done on the
day when, as he was not the man to forget, her arrival relieved him of