w can you say so? Laura Limpenny
and I are true friends."

"She is giving us good help with our schools and our church," Theresa
Money said; "and Reginald" (Theresa's engaged lover) "thinks very highly
of her."

"She always praises men, and they all think highly of her," Lucy
persisted; "and it is something to be Lady Anything."

"I assure you, Miss Grey," Mrs. Money said, "that Lady Limpenny is the
most sincere and unpretending creature. She is not an aristocrat--she
has nothing to do with aristocracy; if she had, there could be little
sympathy, as you may well believe, between her and me, for you know my
convictions. The aristocracies of this country are its ruin! When
England falls--and the hour of her fall is near--it will not be due to
beings like Laura Limpenny."

"There I agree with you, dear," Mr. Money gravely said. "Shall I go on?"

He went on:

"Thank you a thousand times, my dear Money, for your wise and
Christianlike advice. I will keep my china. I am convinced now that
my ideas of yesterday were wrong, and even sinful. I had a charming
talk with a dear aesthetic man last evening, after I saw you, and he
assures me that my china is a collection absolutely unique; and
that, if I were to part with it, Mrs. De Vallancey would manage, at
any cost, or by any contrivance, to get hold of it; and your darling
wife knows how I hate Mrs. De Vallancey. I now feel that it is my
duty to keep the china, and that a love for the treasures of art is
in itself an act of homage to the Great Creator of all.

"My sweetest love to your darling wife and angel girls. Kind regards
to the young lady with the hair; and when you see our dear friend
Heron do tell him that I expect him to call on me _very soon_.

"Ever yours,

"LAURA LIMPENNY."

"'Our dear friend Heron,'" exclaimed Lucy in surprise and anger. "Does
she know Mr. Heron so well as that?"

"She met him here yesterday for the first time," Mr. Money said; "but
that's quite enough for Lady Limpenny. She has taken a violent liking to
him already, and enrolls him among her dear friends. Seriously, she
would be rather a useful person for Heron to know. She knows every one,
and will do anything. Her husband attends all the old women of quality,
and a good many of the young women too. I shouldn't be surprised if Sir
James Limpenny--or his wife--could get Heron a hearing from some great
personage."

"I am su