Indeed, the Plateau was surrounded and quite besieged when we left Africa." It may have hurt Millicent, but it hurt Jocelyn more--for the smile had left her hearer's face.

She was off her guard, as she had been once before when Sir John was near, and Millicent's face betrayed something which Jocelyn saw at once with a sick heart--something that Sir John knew from the morning when he had seen Millicent open two letters--something that Lady Cantourne had known all along.
"And was Mr.Meredith on the Plateau when it was besieged ?" asked Millicent, with a drawn, crooked smile.
"Yes," answered Jocelyn.

She could not help seizing the poor little satisfaction of this punishment; but she felt all the while that it was nothing to the punishment she was bearing, and would bear all her life.
There are few more contradictory things than the heart of a woman who really loves.

For one man it is very tender; for the rest of the world it is the hardest heart on earth if it is called upon to defend the object of its love or the love itself.
"But," cried Millicent, "of course something was done.

They could never leave Mr.Meredith unprotected." "Yes," answered Jocelyn quietly, "Mr.Oscard went up and rescued him.