'Yes; but let me not speak of that,' replied Dulcie hastily, and colouring deeply again; so Finella, like a lady, thought to drop the subject, but somehow, with the instinctive curiosity of her sex, unconsciously revived it again, after a time.
Dulcie, however, perhaps forgetting her present position, and remembering chiefly her old acquaintance with Shafto, was mystified. She thought 'the cousins' were free to marry, so why don't they? If engaged, they act strangely to each other—Finella to him especially—thus she said:—
'Is there anything between Mr. Shafto and you, Finella?'
'Yes,' replied the latter, growing pale with anger.
'What is it?'
'Hatred on my part!'
'And on his?'
'Pretended love and—and—avarice. He knows I am rich.'
'But why hatred?' asked Dulcie, without surprise.
'That is my secret, Dulcie.'