Page:The Spoils of Poynton (London, William Heinemann, 1897).djvu/104

96 This was a transaction that Fleda, after a moment, had to give up trying to represent to herself. "If she won't do that?" she went on.

"I'll leave it all to my solicitor. He won't let her off, by Jove. I know the fellow!"

"That's horrible!" said Fleda, looking at him in woe.

"It's utterly beastly."

His want of logic as well as his vehemence startled her; and with her eyes still on his she considered before asking him the question these things suggested. At last she asked it. "Is Mona very angry?"

"Oh dear, yes!" said Owen.

She had perceived that he wouldn't speak of Mona without her beginning. After waiting fruitlessly now for him to say more she continued: "She has been there again? She has seen the state of the house?"

"Oh dear, yes!" Owen repeated.

Fleda disliked to appear not to take account of his brevity, but it was just because she was struck by it that she felt the pressure of the desire to know more. What it suggested was simply what her intelligence supplied, for he was incapable of any art of insinuation. Wasn't it at all events the rule of communication with him to say for him what he couldn't say? This truth was present to the girl as she inquired if Mona greatly resented what Mrs. Gereth had done. He satisfied her promptly; he was standing before the fire, his back to it, his long