he has come up to London--did n't you know it? She has a lot of
business. She will be kept here till Christmas; I wish you would go."

"Why should I go?" I asked. "Won't you be kept here till Christmas too,
and is n't that company enough for her?"

"Upon my word, you are cruel," he said, "and it's a great shame of you,
when a man is trying to do his duty and is behaving like a saint."

"Is that what you call saintly, spending all your time with Lady
Vandeleur? I will tell you whom I think a saint, if you would like to
know."

"You need n't tell me; I know it better than you. I haven't a word to
say against her; only she is stupid and hasn't any perceptions. If I am
stopping a bit in London you don't understand why; it's as if you had
n't any perceptions either! If I am here for a few days, I know what I
am about."

"Why should I understand?" I asked,--not very candidly, because I should
have been glad to. "It's your own affair; you know what you are about,
as you say, and of course you have counted the cost."

"What cost do you mean? It's a pretty cost, I can tell you." And then
he tried to explain--if I would only enter into it, and not be so
suspicious. He was in London for the express purpose of breaking off.

"Breaking off what,--your engagement?"

"No, no, damn my engagement,--the other thing. My acquaintance, my
relations--"

"Your intimacy with Lady Van--?" It was not very gentle, but I believe
I burst out laughing. "If this is the way you break off, pray what would
you do to keep up?"

He flushed, and looked both foolish and angry, for of course it was not
very difficult to see my point. But he was--in a very clumsy manner of
his own--trying to cultivate a good conscience, and he was getting no
credit for it. "I suppose I may be allowed to look at her! It's a matter
we have to talk over. One does n't drop such a friend in half an hour."

"One does n't drop her at all, unless one has the strength to make a
sacrifice."

"It's easy for you to talk of sacrifice. You don't know what she is!" my
visitor cried.

"I think I know what she is not. She is not a friend, as you call her,
if she encourages you in the wrong, if she does n't help you. No, I have
no patience with her," I declared; "I don't like her, and I won't go to
see her!"

Mr. Tester looked at me a moment, as if he were too vexed to trust
himself to speak. He had to make an effort not to say something rude.
That effort however, he was capa