So  perfectly  unconscious  was  his  manner,  that  for  once  Kate's
penetration  was  at  fault.  She  remembered  having  on  one
occasion,  months  before,  at  the  Grange,  mentioned  in  his
presence  that  if  she  went  to  live  in  London  she  should  prefer
either  Belgrave  Square  or  Park  Lane  for  her  residence ;  but
whether  he  also  had  recollected  this,  or  whether  his  selection
was  the  result  of  accident,  she  could  not  decide.  Moreover,
it  was  not  easy  for  her  to  determine  how  to  act  in  the  matter.
If  he  had  made  the  selection  intentionally,  and  she  allowed  it
to  pass  unnoticed,  it  would  be  a  sort  of  tacit  admission  that
she  was  willing  to  receive  such  secret  attentions  from  him,
appreciating  them  as  kindnesses  rather  than  resenting  them  as
impertinences ;  while,  on  the  other  hand,  if  by  any  chance  it
was  a  mere  coincidence,  she  was  unwilling  to  afford  him  even
the  minute  triumph  of  perceiving  that  she  felt  sufficient  interest
in  him  to  remember  whether  or  not  he  had  been  present  on
an  occasion,  since  which  several  months  had  elapsed,  or  that
she  cared  to  know  if  he  had  observed,  or  regarded  her  wishes.
So  she  took  a  middle  course,  and,  availing  herself  of  a  pause  in
the  conversation,  inquired  carelessly, —

'  Where  did  you  say  the  houses  were  situated,  Mr  D'Al-
mayne  ? '  On  obtaining  the  information  she  required,  she  added,
'  And  how  came  you  to  select  those  particular  localities  ? '

As  he  turned  to  reply,  their  glances  met,  but  his  face  was
perfectly  inscrutable.
