CHAPTER XVII.
Madame Goesler's Story "After all that has come and gone, is it not odd that you and I should find ourselves riding about Broughton Spinnies together ?" That was the question which Madame Goesler asked Phineas Finn when they had both agreed that it was impossible to jump over the bank out of the wood, and it was, of course, necessary that some answer should be given to it.
"When I saw you last in London," said Phineas, with a voice that was gruff, and a manner that was abrupt, "I certainly did not think that we should meet again so soon." "No;--I left you as though I had grounds for quarrelling; but there was no quarrel.

I wrote to you, and tried to explain that." "You did;--and though my answer was necessarily short, I was very grateful." "And here you are back among us; and it does seem so odd.

Lady Chiltern never told me that I was to meet you." "Nor did she tell me." "It is better so, for otherwise I should not have come, and then, perhaps, you would have been all alone in your discomfiture at the bank." "That would have been very bad." "You see I can be quite frank with you, Mr.Finn.I am heartily glad to see you, but I should not have come had I been told.

And when I did see you, it was quite improbable that we should be thrown together as we are now,--was it not?
Ah;--here is a man, and he can tell us the way back to Copperhouse Cross.

But I suppose we had better ask for Harrington Hall at once." The man knew nothing at all about Harrington Hall, and very little about Copperhouse; but he did direct them on to the road, and they found that they were about sixteen miles from Lord Chiltern's house.
The hounds had gone away in the direction of Trumpeton Wood, and it was agreed that it would be useless to follow them.