Viviette's determination to hamper Swithin no longer had led her, as has
been shown, to balk any weak impulse to entreat his return, by forbidding
him to furnish her with his foreign address. His ready disposition, his
fear that there might be other reasons behind, made him obey her only too
literally. Thus, to her terror and dismay, she had placed a gratuitous
difficulty in the way of her present endeavour.

She was ready before Green, and urged on that factotum so wildly as to
leave him no time to change his corduroys and 'skitty-boots' in which he
had been gardening; he therefore turned himself into a coachman as far
down as his waist merely--clapping on his proper coat, hat, and
waistcoat, and wrapping a rug over his horticultural half below. In this
compromise he appeared at the door, mounted, and reins in hand.

Seeing how sad and determined Viviette was, Louis pitied her so far as to
put nothing in the way of her starting, though he forbore to help her.

He thought her conduct sentimental foolery, the outcome of mistaken pity and
'such a kind of gain-giving as would trouble a woman;' and he decided
that it would be better to let this mood burn itself out than to keep it
smouldering by obstruction.

'Do you remember the date of his sailing?' she said finally, as the pony-
carriage turned to drive off.

'He sails on the 25th, that is, to-day. But it may not be till late in
the evening.' With this she started, and reached Warborne in time for the up-train.