er, at any
rate--he proudly thought--ought to know better than to be misled by them
for a moment.

At the same time, something must be done. It could not be denied that
Kitty had been behaving like a romantic, excitable child with this
unscrupulous man, whose record with regard to women was probably wholly
unknown to her, however foolishly she might idealize the <i>liaison</i>
commemorated in his poems. What had Kitty, indeed, been doing with
herself this six weeks? Ashe tried to recall them in detail. Ascot,
Lord's, innumerable parties in London and in the country, to some of
which he had not been able to accompany her, owing to the stress of
Parliamentary and official work. Grosville Park, for instance--he had
been stopped at the last moment from going down there by the arrival of
some important foreign news, and Kitty had gone alone. She had
reappeared on the Monday, pale and furious, saying that she and her aunt
had quarrelled, and that she would never go near the Grosvilles either
in town or country again. She had not volunteered any further
explanation, and Ashe had refrained from inquiry. There were in him
certain disgusts and disdains, belonging to his general epicurean
conception of existence, which not even his love for Kitty could
overcome. One was a disdain for the quarrels of women. He supposed they
were inevitable; he saw, by-the-way, that Kitty and Lady Parham were
once more at daggers drawn; and Kitty seemed to enjoy it. Well, it was
her own affair; but while there was a Greek play, or a Shakespeare
sonnet, or even a Blue Book to read, who could expect him to listen?

What had old Lady Grosville been about? He understood that Cliffe had
been of the party. And Kitty must have done something to bring down upon
her the wrath of the Puritanical mistress of the house.

Well, what was he to do? It was now July. The session would last
certainly till the middle of August, and though the American business
would be disposed of directly, there was fresh trouble in the Balkan
Peninsula, and an anxious situation in Egypt. Impossible that he should
think of leaving his post. And as for the chance of a dissolution, the
government was now a good deal stronger than it had been before
Easter--worse luck!

Of course he ought to take Kitty away. But short of resignation how was
it to be done? And what, even, would resignation do--supposing, <i>per
impossibile</i>, it could be thought of--but give to gnawing gossip a
bi