woman apologised and soothed.

"You gave me leave, Jasper dear. You said it would be a relief to you to
have her pardon as well as theirs."

"Whose pardon?" asked the voice querulously.

"Caroline Lyndsay's--Lady Montfort's."

"Nonsense! What did I ever do against her? Oh--ah! I remember now.
Don't let me have it over again. Yes--she pardons me, I suppose! Get me
my broth, and don't be long!"

Arabella came back, closing the door; and while she busied herself with
that precious saucepan on the hob--to which the Marchioness of Montfort
had become a very secondary object--she said, looking towards Caroline
from under her iron-grey ringlets:

"You heard--he misses me! He can't bear me out of his sight now--me,
me! You heard!"

Meekly Lady Montfort advanced, bringing in her hand the tray with the
broth-basin.

"Yes, I heard! I must not keep you; but let me help while I stay."

So the broth was poured forth and prepared, and with it Arabella
disappeared. She returned in a few minutes, beckoned to Caroline, and
said in a low voice: