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But so the better of years of social discipline, had made her push Mr Rosedale into his OUBLIETTE without a trial He had left behind only the ripple of a her friends; and though later (to shift the metaphor) he reappeared lower down the streaences between

Hitherto Lily had been undisturbed by scruples In her little set Mr Rosedale had been pronounced "impossible," and Jack Stepney roundly snubbed for his attempt to pay his debts in dinner invitations Even Mrs Trenor, whose taste for variety had led her into souise Mr Rosedale as a novelty, and declared that he was the same little Jeho had been served up and rejected at the social board a dozen times within her memory; and while Judy Trenor was obdurate there was s beyond the outer liave up the contest with a laughing "You'll see," and, sticking uns, showed himself with Rosedale at the fashionable restaurants, in company with the personally vivid if socially obscure ladies who are available for such purposes But the attempt had hitherto been vain, and as Rosedale undoubtedly paid for the dinners, the laugh remained with his debtor

Mr Rosedale, it will be seen, was thus far not a factor to be feared--unless one put one's self in his power And this was precisely what Miss Bart had done Her clu to conceal; and she was sure he had a score to settle with her Sootten She turned fro on her all the way to the station, and dogged her down the platform with the persistency of Mr Rosedale himself

She had just ti arranged herself in her corner with the instinctive feeling for effect which never forsook her, she glanced about in the hope of seeing soet away from herself, and conversation was the only means of escape that she knew

Her search was rewarded by the discovery of a very blond young man with a soft reddish beard, who, at the other end of the carriage, appeared to be dissehtened, and a faint smile relaxed the drawn lines of her mouth She had known that Mr Percy Gryce was to be at Bello him to herself in the train; and the fact banished all perturbing thoughts of Mr Rosedale Perhaps, after all, the day was to end un