Her purity, which was her safeguard, stirred his venom; he worshipped it, and would have smothered it in foulness.
'Hadn't you better have the doctor to see you ?' he began one morning when he had followed her from the dining-room to her boudoir.
'The doctor?
Why ?' 'You don't seem up to the mark,' he replied, avoiding her look.
Adela kept silence.
'You were well enough in London, I suppose ?' 'I am never very strong.' 'I think you might be a bit more cheerful.' 'I will try to be.' This submission always aggravated his disease--by what other name to call it?
He would have had her resist him, that he might know the pleasure of crushing her will.
He walked about the room, then suddenly: 'What is that man Eldon doing ?' Adela looked at him with surprise.

It had never entered her thoughts that the meeting with Eldon would cost him more than a passing annoyance--she knew he disliked him--and least of all that such annoyance would in any way be connected with herself.

It was possible, of course, that some idle tongue had gossiped of her former friendship with Hubert, but there was no one save Letty who knew what her feelings really had been, and was not the fact of her marriage enough to remove any suspicion that Mutimer might formerly have entertained?
But the manner of his question was so singular, the introduction of Eldon's name so abrupt, that she could not but discern in a measure what was in his mind.
She made reply: 'I don't understand.

Do you mean how is he engaged ?' 'How comes he to know Mrs.Westlake ?' 'Through common friends--some people named Boscobel.

Mr.Boscobel is an artist, and Mr.Eldon appears to be studying art.' Her voice was quite steady through this explanation.