say," Lady Wychcote took it up again. "But
you're probably unaware that Mrs. Arundel's looseness of morals is a
matter of common knowledge."

Susan put down her embroidery.

"I don't know anything about that, Lady Wychcote," said she firmly. "I
only know that she's been very, very kind to Sophy. I think, if you
don't mind, I'll call Sophy now. I'd rather you said these things direct
to her."

She rose as she spoke, and went off to the garden before her ladyship
could protest.

"Hateful, hateful woman!" thought Susan as she went; "... ready to think
evil of every one." But all the same she felt uneasy and perturbed.
Suppose that Lady Wychcote should use that acrid tongue of hers in
starting gossip about Sophy? But then she would hardly care to do such a
thing in regard to the mother of her only grandson! Still--one never
knew how such spiteful natures would act. Susan felt thoroughly upset.

She was somewhat reassured by the calmness with which Sophy took the
news of her mother-in-law's unexpected visit.

"Motored over?" said she. "Then she must be stopping with the Hiltons.
But I thought she wasn't going there until July."

Susan was further relieved to find that Lady Wychcote was very civil
indeed to Amaldi. She seemed to find him interesting. They talked
together quite a while. When she was leaving, she said to Sophy:

"You must let Robert come to me for a day, while I am with Mary Hilton,
Sophy. I shall be there a week longer." Then she turned to Amaldi.

"While you are stopping in the neighbourhood," said she, "it would be
very kind of you to come and let me hear a little of the music that
every one is talking of, Marchese. My mourning keeps me out of town this
year."

Amaldi said that he would be delighted to call on her ladyship, only
that he was not stopping in the neighbourhood, and was returning to town
that afternoon.

"Ah?" she said, with a look of faint surprise. And this "Ah?" renewed
all Susan's uneasiness. To her it seemed so plainly to say: "What! you
come all the way from London to call on my daughter-in-law? Then things
are even more serious than I thought."

That evening, after Amaldi had gone, she told Sophy bluntly of her
misgivings. Sophy was annoyed but not apprehensive.

"She dislikes me, Sue, and she has a bitter tongue--but somehow I don't
think she'd go as far as _that_...."

"Why not?" asked Sue, who was beginning more and more to think that in
any matter Lady Wychcote would