as an inferior kind of French governess, the child boarded out
with various persons, and generally for long periods of the year in
hospital or convalescent home. To visit her in her white hospital
bed--to bring her toys and flowers, or merely kisses and chat--had been,
during these years, the only work of charity on Julie's part which had
been wholly secret, disinterested, and constant.

XII

It was a somewhat depressed company that found its straggling way into
the Duchess's drawing-room that evening between tea and dinner.

Miss Le Breton did not appear at tea. The Duchess believed that, after
her inspection of the house in Heribert Street, Julie had gone on to
Bloomsbury to find Madame Bornier. Jacob Delafield was there, not much
inclined to talk, even as Julie's champion. And, one by one, Lady
Henry's oldest _habitues_, the "criminals" of the night before,
dropped in.

Dr. Meredith arrived with a portfolio containing what seemed to be
proof-sheets.

"Miss Le Breton not here?" he said, as he looked round him.

The Duchess explained that she might be in presently. The great man sat
down, his portfolio carefully placed beside him, and drank his tea under
what seemed a cloud of preoccupation.

Then appeared Lord Lackington and Sir Wilfrid Bury. Montresor had sent a
note from the House to say that if the debate would let him he would
dash up to Grosvenor Square for some dinner, but could only stay
an hour.

"Well, here we are again--the worst of us!" said the Duchess, presently,
with a sigh of bravado, as she handed Lord Lackington his cup of tea
and sank back in her chair to enjoy her own.

"Speak for yourselves, please," said Sir Wilfrid's soft, smiling voice,
as he daintily relieved his mustache of some of the Duchess's cream.

"Oh, that's all very well," said the Duchess, throwing up a hand in mock
annoyance; "but why weren't you there?"

"I knew better."

"The people who keep out of scrapes are not the people one loves," was
the Duchess's peevish reply.

"Let him alone," said Lord Lackington, coming for some more tea-cake.
"He will get his deserts. Next Wednesday he will be _tete-a-tete_ with
Lady Henry."

"Lady Henry is going to Torquay to-morrow," said Sir Wilfrid, quietly.

"Ah!"

There was a general chorus of interrogation, amid which the Duchess made
herself heard.

"Then you've seen her?"

"To-day, for twenty minutes--all she was able to bear. She was ill
yesterday. She is natural