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Rh had been called, "Madame." It had seemed natural then to address her like that? If so, could she pass as married, in spite of her age? The thought surprised her. And yet, she reflected, how could any one suppose that a young girl would come by herself to treat for the manor-house and live in it by herself?

She remembered a piece of advice which the solicitor had given her:

"If you wish to lead a quiet life, not a word about the past before we have shed a full light upon it."

Yes, but how much easier it would be to veil the past under that name of "madame"! And how much better that title would protect her! As a girl, living alone, she must needs be the object of curiosity, the victim of any amount of gossip. As a married woman, she would be in a normal position; her solitary existence would cause no surprise; she could keep off intruders, go about as she pleased, or stay indoors and weep, with