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。