tly, and proved fully up to the
task.

"She's the most fascinating creature I ever saw," cried Mina.

"Rescued out of Chelsea, wasn't she?" smiled Lady Flora. "Poor thing!
One's sorry for her. When her mourning's over we must get her out. I do
hope she's something like Mr Tristram?"

"I think she's ever so much nicer than Mr Tristram." Mina would have
shrunk from stating this upon oath.

"He interests me enormously, and it's so seldom I like Robert's young
men."

So he was to be Robert's young man too! The thing grew worse and worse.
Almost she hated her idol Mr Disney. Personal jealousy, and jealousy for
Cecily, blinded her to his merits, much more to the gracious cordiality
which his wife was now showing.

"Yes, I'm sure we shall make something of Harry Tristram."

"He doesn't like things done for him," Mina declared. She meant to show
how very well she knew him, and spoke with an air of authority.

"Oh, of course it won't look like that, Madame Zabriska."

Now the Imp's efforts had looked like that--just like it. She chafed
under conscious inferiority; Lady Flora had smiled at being thought to
need such a reminder.

"Men never see it unless it's absolutely crammed down their throats,"
Lady Flora pursued. "They always think it's all themselves, you know. It
would be very clumsy to be found out."

In perfect innocence she sprinkled pepper on Mina's wound. Able to
endure no more, the Imp declared that she must go back to Cecily.

"Oh, poor girl, I quite forgot her! You're going back to Blent with her,
I suppose? Do come and see us when you're in town again." Was there or
was there not the slightest sigh as she turned away, a sigh that spoke
of duty nobly done? Even toward Robert's caprices, even to the oddest
people, Lady Flora prided herself on a becoming bearing. And in the end
this little Madame Zabriska had rather amused her; she was funny with
her airs of ownership about Harry Tristram.

Well poor Mina understood! All that the enemy thought was legible to
her; all the misery that keen perceptions can sometimes bring was sure
to be hers. She had spent the most notable evening of her life, and she
got into her cab a miserable woman.

Theo was on the doorstep. "Escapin'," he confided to her while he handed
her in. "Worst of these parties generally is that there's nobody
amusin'," he observed as he did her this service. "Aren't you rather
glad you haven't got to take on Flora's job, Madame Zabriska?"