She had an intense, unreasonable indignation.
The maid had scarcely left the room when her blind search
for means of retaliation succeeded.
"But one is not necessarily wholly Without diversions in
the provinces. I had, for instance, the pleasure of a
visit from Mr. Cardiff."
"Oh yes, I heard of that," Janet returned, smiling. "My
father thought that we were being improperly robbed of
your society, and went to try to persuade you to return,
didn't he? I told him I thought it a shocking liberty;
but you ought to forgive him--on the ground of his
disappointment."
The cup Elfrida held shook in its saucer, and she put it
down to silence it. Janet did not know, did not suspect,
then. Well, she should; her indifference was too maddening.
"Under the circumstances it was not a liberty at all.
Mr. Cardiff wanted me to come back to marry him."
There! It was done, and as brutally as possible. Her
vanity was avenged--she could have her triumphs too. And
instant with its gratification came the cold recoil of
herself upon herself, a sense of shame, a longing to
undo.
Janet took the announcement with the very slightest
lifting of her eyebrows. She bent her head and stirred
her teacup meditatively, then looked up gravely at Elfrida.
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