But even that, bad as it would be, might be preferable to the meeting! What a fool had she been,--so she accused herself,--in not foreseeing that such an accident might happen, knowing as she did that Phineas Finn had reappeared in the political world, and that he and the Chiltern people had ever been fast friends! As she had thought about it, lying awake at night, she had told herself that she must certainly be recalled back to London by business.

She would telegraph up to town, raising a question about any trifle, and on receipt of the answer she could be off with something of an excuse.

The shame of running away from the man seemed to be a worse evil than the shame of meeting him.
She had in truth done nothing to disgrace herself.

In her desire to save a man whom she had loved from the ruin which she thought had threatened him, she had--offered him her hand.

She had made the offer, and he had refused it! That was all.