 she was with Mrs. Lessingham?«
    Elgar muttered a »No,« averting his face.
    »What did they suggest, then?«
    »I saw only my sister,« said Reuben, irritably.
    »And your sister thought I was the most likely person to know of Mrs.
Elgar's whereabouts?«
    »Yes, she did.«
    »I am sorry to disappoint you,« said Mallard, coldly. »I have given you all
the information I can.«
    »All you will,« replied Elgar, whose temper was exasperated by the firmness
with which he was held at a scornful distance. He began now to imagine that
Mallard, from reasons of disinterested friendship, had advised Cecily to seek
some retreat, and would not disclose the secret. More than that, he still found
incredible.
    Mallard eyed him scornfully.
    »I said all I can, and I don't deal in double meanings. I know nothing more
than I have told you. You are probably unaccustomed, of late, to receive simple
and straight-forward answers to your questions; but you'll oblige me by
remembering where you are.«
    Elgar might rage inwardly, but he had no power of doubting what he heard. He
understood that Mallard would not even permit an allusion to anything save the
plain circumstances which had come to light. Moreover, the artist had found a
galling way of referring to the events that had brought about this juncture.
Reuben was profoundly humiliated; he had never seen himself in so paltry a
light. He could have shed tears of angry shame.
    »I dare say the tone of your conversation,« he said acridly, »was not such
as would reconcile her to remaining at home. No doubt you gave her abundant
causes for self-pity.«
    »I did not congratulate her on her return home; but, on the other hand, I
said nothing that could interfere with her expressed intention to remain there.«
    »She told you that she had this intention?« asked Reuben, with some
eagerness.
    »She did.«
    As in the dialogue of last evening, so now, Mallard kept the sternest
control upon himself. Had he obeyed his desire, he would have scarified Elgar
with savage words; but of that nothing save harm could come. His duty was to
smooth, and not to aggravate, the situation. It was a blow to him to learn that
Cecily had passed the night away from home, but he felt sure that this would be
explained in some way that did no injury to her previous
