WhenshedidthistoMackinnon，whowasmucholderthanherself，wehadbeenallamusedbyit，and，otherladiesofourpartyhadtakentocallhim\"Mackinnon\"whenMrs。Talboyswasnotby；butwehadfeltthecomedytobelesssafewithO\'Brien，especiallywhen，ononeoccasion，weheardhimaddressherasArabella。Shedidnotseemtobeinanywaystruckbyhisdoingso，andwesupposed，therefore，thatithadbecomefrequentbetweenthem。WhatreplyhemadeatthemomentabouttheheartofamanIdonotknow；andtheninafewminutestheydisappearedthroughthegapinthewall。
Noneofusfollowedthem，thoughitwouldhaveseemedthemostnaturalthingintheworldtodosohadnothingoutofthewaybeenexpected。Asitwasweremainedthereroundthetombquizzingthelittlefoiblesofourdearfriend，andhopingthatO\'Brienwouldbequickinwhathewasdoing。Thathewouldundoubtedlygetaslapinthefacemetaphoricallyweallfeltcertain，fornoneofusdoubtedtherigidproprietyofthelady\'sintentions。Someofusstrolledintothebuildings，andsomeofusgotoutontotheroad；
butweallofuswerethinkingthatO\'BrienwasveryslowaconsiderabletimebeforewesawMrs。Talboysreappearthroughthegap。
Atlast，however，shewasthere，andweatoncesawthatshewasalone。Shecameon，breastingthehillwithquicksteps，andwhenshedrewnearwecouldseethattherewasafrownasofinjuredmajestyonherbrow。Mackinnonandhiswifewentforwardtomeether。Ifshewerereallyintroubleitwouldbefittinginsomewaytoassisther；andofallwomenMrs。Mackinnonwasthelasttoseeanotherwomansufferfromill-usagewithoutattemptingtoaidher。
\"Icertainlyneverlikedher，\"Mrs。Mackinnonsaidafterwards；\"butIwasboundtogoandhearhertale，whenshereallyhadataletotell。\"
AndMrs。Talboysnowhadataletotell，ifshechosetotellit。
TheladiesofourpartydeclaredafterwardsthatshewouldhaveactedmorewiselyhadshekepttoherselfbothO\'Brien\'swordstoherandheranswer。\"Shewaswellabletotakecareofherself，\"
Mrs。Mackinnonsaid；\"and，afterall，thesillymanhadtakenananswerwhenhegotit。\"Not，however，thatO\'Brienhadtakenhisanswerquiteimmediately，asfarasIcouldunderstandfromwhatweheardofthematterafterwards。
AtthepresentmomentMrs。Talboyscameuptherisinggroundallalone，andataquickpace。\"Themanhasinsultedme，\"shesaidaloud，aswellasherpantingbreathwouldallowher，andassoonasshewasnearenoughtoMrs。Mackinnontospeaktoher。
\"Iamsorryforthat，\"saidMrs。Mackinnon。\"Isupposehehastakenalittletoomuchwine。\"
\"No；itwasapremeditatedinsult。Thebase-heartedchurlhasfailedtounderstandthemeaningoftrue，honestsympathy。\"
\"Hewillforgetallaboutitwhenheissober，\"saidMackinnon，meaningtocomforther。
\"WhatcareIwhatheremembersorwhatheforgets！\"shesaid，turninguponpoorMackinnonindignantly。\"Youmengrovelsoinyourideas\"\"Andyet，\"asMackinnonsaidafterwards，\"shehadbeentellingmethatIwasafoolforthelastthreeweeks。\"\"Youmengrovelsoinyourideas，thatyoucannotunderstandthefeelingsofatrue-heartedwoman。Whatcanhisforgetfulnessorhisremembrancebetome？MustnotIrememberthisinsult？IsitpossiblethatI
shouldforgetit？\"
Mr。andMrs。Mackinnononlyhadgoneforwardtomeether；but，nevertheless，shespokesoloudthatallheardherwhowerestillclusteredroundthespotonwhichwehaddined。
\"WhathasbecomeofMr。O\'Brien？\"aladywhisperedtome。
Ihadafield-glasswithme，and，lookinground，Isawhishatashewaswalkinginsidethewallsofthecircusinthedirectiontowardsthecity。\"Andveryfoolishhemustfeel，\"saidthelady。
\"Nodoubtheisusedtoit，\"saidanother。
\"Butconsideringherage，youknow，\"saidthefirst，whomighthavebeenperhapsthreeyearsyoungerthanMrs。Talboys，andwhowasnotherselfaversetotheexcitementofamoderateflirtation。Butthenwhyshouldshehavebeenaverse，seeingthatshehadnotasyetbecomesubjecttothewillofanyimperiallord？
\"Hewouldhavefeltmuchmorefoolish，\"saidthethird，\"ifshehadlistenedtowhathesaidtoher。\"
\"WellIdon\'tknow，\"saidthesecond；\"nobodywouldhaveknownanythingaboutitthen，andinafewweekstheywouldhavegraduallybecometiredofeachotherintheordinaryway。\"
ButinthemeantimeMrs。Talboyswasamongus。Therehadbeennoattemptatsecresy，andshewasstillloudlyinveighingagainstthegrovellingpropensitiesofmen。\"That\'squitetrue，Mrs。Talboys，\"
saidoneoftheelderladies；\"butthenwomenarenotalwayssocarefulastheyshouldbe。OfcourseIdonotmeantosaythattherehasbeenanyfaultonyourpart。\"
\"Faultonmypart！Ofcoursetherehasbeenfaultonmypart。Noonecanmakeanymistakewithoutfaulttosomeextent。Itookhimtobeamanofsense，andheisafool。GotoNaplesindeed！\"
\"DidhewantyoutogotoNaples？\"askedMrs。Mackinnon。
\"Yes；thatwaswhathesuggested。WeweretoleavebythetrainforCivitaVecchiaatsixto-morrowmorningandcatchthesteamerwhichleavesLeghornto-night。Don\'ttellmeofwine。Hewaspreparedforit！\"Andshelookedroundaboutonuswithanairofinjuredmajestyinherfacewhichwasalmostinsupportable。
\"Iwonderwhetherhetooktheticketsover-night，\"saidMackinnon。
\"Naples！\"shesaid，asthoughnowspeakingexclusivelytoherself；
\"theonlygroundinItalywhichhasasyetmadenostruggleonbehalfoffreedom；afittingresidenceforsuchadastard！\"
\"Youwouldhavefounditverypleasantatthisseason，\"saidtheunmarriedlady，whowasthreeyearsherjunior。
MywifehadtakenIdaoutofthewaywhenthefirstcomplainingnotefromMrs。Talboyshadbeenheardascendingthehill。Butnow，whenmattersbegangraduallytobecomequiescent，shebroughtherback，suggesting，asshedidso，thattheymightbegintothinkofreturning。
\"Itisgettingverycold，Ida，dear，isitnot？\"saidshe。
\"ButwhereisMr。O\'Brien？\"saidIda。
\"Hehasfled，aspoltroonsalwaysfly，\"saidMrs。Talboys。I
believeinmyheartthatshewouldhavebeengladtohavehadhimthereinthemiddleofthecircle，andtohavetriumphedoverhimpubliclyamongusall。Nofeelingofshamewouldhavekepthersilentforamoment。
\"Fled！\"saidIda，lookingupintohermother\'sface。