When she viewed her face, its ring-eyed pallor fascinated her with incredulity.
Had she looked at all like that whilst Hubert Eldon and the others were talking to her?
What did they secretly think of her?
The others might attribute to her many more years than she had really seen; but Hubert knew her age.

Perhaps that was why he glanced at her twice or thrice on the stairs.
For the first time she wished not to be alone with Stella, fearing lest the conversation should turn on Hubert.

Yet, when they had sat together for nearly an hour, and Stella had not named him, she began to suffer from a besieging desire to speak of him, a recurrent impulse to allude to him, however distantly, so that her companion might be led to the subject.

The impulse grew to a torment, more intolerable each time she resisted it.

And at last she found herself uttering the name involuntarily, overcome by something stronger than her dread.
'I was surprised to meet Mr.Eldon.' 'Did you know him ?' Stella asked simply.
'He used to live at Wanley Manor.' Stella seemed to revive memories.
'Oh, that was how I knew the name.