They went up-stairs with her at night, they followed her into her room, and would not be denied.

When she had sent away her maid, she sat down by the window, and, with the full harvest-moon for company, faced them and asked them what they meant.

But they only repeated themselves over and over again.

What had they to do with her?
Her mind tried to grapple with them in vain.

As often as she came to close quarters with them they eluded her and disappeared, only to return with the old formula.
Her thoughts drifted away at last to what Mr.Alwynn had said of Charles, and all the disagreeable things which Mabel had come up on Monday morning, with a bunch of late roses, on purpose to tell her respecting him.