matter?"
"I can give no explanation, and I had rather that no questions should be asked. But so it is."
"Has she offended Lord George?"
"Oh dear no; that is to say I cannot tell you anything more about it. You will never see me in Berkeley Square again. And now, pray say no more about it."
"Poor Adelaide. Well; it does seem terrible that there should be such misunderstandings. She knows nothing about it. I was with her this morning, and she was speaking of you with the greatest affection." Mary struggled hard to appear indifferent to all this, but struggled in vain. She could not restrain herself from displaying her feeling. "May I not ask any further questions?"
"No, Captain De Baron."
"Nor hope that I may be a peacemaker between you?"
"Certainly not. I wish you wouldn't talk about it any more."
"I certainly will not if it offends you. I would not offend you for all the world. When you came up to town, Lady George, a few months ago, there were three or four of us that soon became such excellent friends! And now it seems that everything has gone wrong. I hope we need not quarrel—you and I?"
"I know no reason why we should."