Page 186 (1/2)

He had to wait long Autu seeetables had shrunk under the first ss; then the forest leaves, which had been descending at

leisure, descended in haste and inoverhead were noded together in a degraded

ot redder and hornier, and

curled themselves up to rot The only suspicious features in Mrs

Charmond's existence at this season were two: the first, that she lived

with no coe and

attractions, was soin a lonely

country-house; the other, that she did not, as in previous years,

start froe

froht

study--his la as from his old

If the suspected ones met, it was by such adroit contrivances that even

Melbury's vigilance could not encounter theether A siular about it, and that he

had paid two or three such calls was certain What had passed at those

intervieas known only to the parties themselves; but that Felice

Charmond was under some one's influence Melbury soon had opportunity of

perceiving