Page:What Maisie Knew (Chicago & New York, Herbert S. Stone & Co., 1897).djvu/421

Rh have appeared to deflect with difficulty from her odd consideration of Ida's wrongs: "He was a nice sort of person for her to talk to you about! "

"Oh, I like him!" Maisie promptly rejoined; and at this, with an inarticulate sound and an inconsequence still more marked, her companion bent over and dealt her, on the cheek, a rapid peck which had the apparent intention of a kiss.

"Well, if her ladyship doesn't agree with you, what does it only prove?" Mrs. Wix demanded in conclusion. "It proves that she's fond of Sir Claude!"

Maisie, in the light of some of the evidence, reflected on that till her hair was finished; but when she at last started up she gave a sign of no very close embrace of it. She grasped, at this moment, Mrs. Wix's arm. "He must have got his divorce!"

"Since day before yesterday? Don't talk trash!"

This was spoken with an impatience which left the child nothing to reply; whereupon she sought her defence in a completely different relation to the fact. "Well, I knew he would come!"