Her high colouring was dimmed; she wore a harassed air, and she was uncommonly nervous and ill at ease.

He thought it strange that she should be so deeply affected by the death of a man she had such good reason to detest.

But, of course, there was no telling how a woman would take anything; Lady Loudwater's distress had fallen as far short of what he had expected as Helena's had exceeded it.
To Mr.Manley's credit it must be admitted that in less than twenty minutes Helena Truslove was looking another creature; her face had recovered all its colour; the harassed air had vanished from it, and she was sitting on his knee in a condition of the most pleasant repose.

It was his theory that a woman was never too ill, or too ill at ease, or too unhappy to be made love to.

He had acted on it.
When he had thus restored her peace of mind, he told her that Mr.Flexen had asked him whether the late Lord Loudwater had been mixed up with any lady in the neighbourhood, and asked her if she could suggest any reason for his having asked the question.