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in¡¡the¡¡afternoon¡¡he¡¡returned¡¡to¡¡his¡¡chambers£»¡¡wishing¡¡that¡¡he
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day¡£¡¡¡¡It¡¡was¡¡five¡¡minutes¡¡past¡¡fivejust¡¡about¡¡the¡¡hour¡¡when
Paula¡¡would¡¡be¡¡driving¡¡from¡¡Markton¡¡Station¡¡to¡¡Stancy¡¡Castle
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London¡¡just¡¡five¡¡hours¡¡earlier¡£

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or¡¡be¡¡more¡¡than¡¡a¡¡mere¡¡dummy¡¡behind¡¡the¡¡earlier¡¡arrivals¡£¡¡¡¡He
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languid¡¡manners¡¡of¡¡the¡¡capital¡£

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a¡¡second¡£¡¡¡¡His¡¡dear¡¡Paula¡¡had¡¡fetched¡¡the¡¡necklace¡¡that
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people¡¡by¡¡reason¡¡of¡¡her¡¡poverty¡£¡¡¡¡It¡¡was¡¡generously¡¡donea
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to¡¡the¡¡young¡¡man's¡¡vision¡¡a¡¡superlative¡¡something
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ornament£»¡¡for¡¡she¡¡had¡¡hardly¡¡a¡¡gem¡¡upon¡¡her£»¡¡her¡¡attire¡¡being
a¡¡model¡¡of¡¡effective¡¡simplicity¡£¡¡¡¡Her¡¡partner¡¡was¡¡Captain¡¡De
Stancy¡£

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appreciation¡¡of¡¡what¡¡he¡¡had¡¡discovered¡¡just¡¡before¡£¡¡¡¡It¡¡was
with¡¡rather¡¡a¡¡lowering¡¡brow¡¡that¡¡he¡¡asked¡¡himself¡¡whether
Paula's¡¡predilection¡¡d'artiste£»¡¡as¡¡she¡¡called¡¡it£»¡¡for¡¡the¡¡De
Stancy¡¡line¡¡might¡¡not¡¡lead¡¡to¡¡a¡¡predilection¡¡of¡¡a¡¡different
sort¡¡for¡¡its¡¡last¡¡representative¡¡which¡¡would¡¡be¡¡not¡¡at¡¡all
satisfactory¡£

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quench¡¡any¡¡surprise¡¡in¡¡Miss¡¡Power's¡¡bosom¡¡at¡¡seeing¡¡him¡¡now¡£
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his¡¡long¡¡absence¡£¡¡¡¡Though£»¡¡for¡¡that¡¡matter£»¡¡this¡¡proved
nothing£»¡¡for£»¡¡like¡¡all¡¡wise¡¡maidens£»¡¡Paula¡¡never¡¡ventured¡¡on
the¡¡game¡¡of¡¡the¡¡eyes¡¡with¡¡a¡¡lover¡¡in¡¡public£»¡¡well¡¡knowing¡¡that
every¡¡moment¡¡of¡¡such¡¡indulgence¡¡overnight¡¡might¡¡mean¡¡an¡¡hour's
sneer¡¡at¡¡her¡¡expense¡¡by¡¡the¡¡indulged¡¡gentleman¡¡next¡¡day£»¡¡when
weighing¡¡womankind¡¡by¡¡the¡¡aid¡¡of¡¡a¡¡cold¡¡morning¡¡light¡¡and¡¡a
bad¡¡headache¡£

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of¡¡his¡¡sudden¡¡appearance£»¡¡their¡¡attention¡¡was¡¡drawn¡¡to¡¡a¡¡seat
a¡¡short¡¡way¡¡off¡¡by¡¡a¡¡fluttering¡¡of¡¡ladies¡¡round¡¡the¡¡spot¡£¡¡¡¡In
a¡¡moment¡¡it¡¡was¡¡whispered¡¡that¡¡somebody¡¡had¡¡fallen¡¡ill£»¡¡and¡¡in
another¡¡that¡¡the¡¡sufferer¡¡was¡¡Miss¡¡De¡¡Stancy¡£¡¡¡¡Paula£»¡¡Mrs¡£
Goodman£»¡¡and¡¡Somerset¡¡at¡¡once¡¡joined¡¡the¡¡group¡¡of¡¡friends¡¡who
were¡¡assisting¡¡her¡£¡¡¡¡Neither¡¡of¡¡them¡¡imagined¡¡for¡¡an¡¡instant
that¡¡the¡¡unexpected¡¡advent¡¡of¡¡Somerset¡¡on¡¡the¡¡scene¡¡had
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came¡¡up£»¡¡prepared¡¡to¡¡take¡¡her¡¡home£»¡¡Somerset¡¡exchanging¡¡a¡¡few
civil¡¡words¡¡with¡¡him£»¡¡which¡¡the¡¡hurry¡¡of¡¡the¡¡moment¡¡prevented
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Charlotte£»¡¡who¡¡was¡¡now¡¡better£»¡¡De¡¡Stancy¡¡informed¡¡Somerset¡¡in
answer¡¡to¡¡a¡¡cursory¡¡inquiry£»¡¡that¡¡he¡¡hoped¡¡to¡¡be¡¡back¡¡again¡¡at
the¡¡ball¡¡in¡¡half¡­an¡­hour¡£

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might¡¡have¡¡his¡¡day£»¡¡sounded¡¡Paula¡¡on¡¡the¡¡delightful¡¡question
of¡¡a¡¡dance¡£

Paula¡¡replied¡¡in¡¡the¡¡negative¡£

'How¡¡is¡¡that£¿'¡¡asked¡¡Somerset¡¡with¡¡reproachful¡¡disappointment¡£

'I¡¡cannot¡¡dance¡¡again£»'¡¡she¡¡said¡¡in¡¡a¡¡somew

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