Her secret adventure had become sterile.

Its risks were destroyed, and nothing could spring from it.

Nevertheless it lived in her heart.

After all it had been tremendous! And the virtue of audacious initiative was miraculous!...

Yes, her mother was shrewd enough--that could not be denied--but she was not so shrewd as she imagined; for it had never occurred to her, and it never would occur to her, even in the absurdest dream--that the author of Mr.Cannon's visit was the girl sitting opposite to her and delicately pecking at jelly! "How is he Miss Gailey's half-brother ?" Hilda demanded half-way through the meal.
"Why! Mrs.Gailey--Sarah Gailey's mother, that is--married a foreigner after her first husband died." "But Mr.Cannon isn't a foreigner ?" "He's half a foreigner.