tle heiress, and the encouragement given him, in defiance of the
girl's guardians, by her silly and indiscreet mother, were still hidden
and secret matters?--that he could still conceal them from the world,
and deny them to Julie?

Her whole nature was sore yet from her wrestle with the Duchess on that
miserable evening.

"Julie, I can't help it! I know it's impertinent--but--Julie,
darling!--do listen! What business has that man to make love to you as
he does, when all the time--Yes, he does make love to you--he does!
Freddie had a most ill-natured letter from Lady Henry this morning. Of
course he had--and of course she'll write that kind of letter to as many
people as she can. And it wouldn't matter a bit, if--But, you see, you
_have_ been moving heaven and earth for him! And now his manner to you"
(while the sudden flush burned her cheek, Julie wondered whether by
chance the Duchess had seen anything of the yielded hands and the kiss)
"and that ill-luck of his being the first to arrive, last night, at Lady
Henry's! Oh, Julie, he's a wretch--_he is!_ Of course he is in love with
you. That's natural enough. But all the time--listen, that nice woman
told me the whole story--he's writing regularly to that little girl. She
and her mother, in spite of the guardians, regard it as an engagement
signed and sealed, and all his friends believe he's _quite_ determined
to marry her because of the money. You may think me an odious little
meddler, Julie, if you like, but I vow I could stab him to the heart,
with all the pleasure in life!"

And neither the annoyance, nor the dignity, nor the ridicule of the
supposed victim--not Julie's angry eyes, nor all her mocking words from
tremulous lips--had availed in the least to silence the tumult of
alarmed affection in the Duchess's breast. Her Julie had been flouted
and trifled with; and if she was so blind, so infatuated, as not to see
it, she should at least be driven to realize what other people
felt about it.

So she had her say, and Julie had been forced, willy-nilly, upon
discussion and self-defence--nay, upon a promise also. Pale, and stiffly
erect, yet determined all the same to treat it as a laughing matter, she
had vouchsafed the Duchess some kind of assurance that she would for the
future observe a more cautious behavior towards Warkworth. "He is my
_friend_, and whatever any one may say, he shall remain so," she had
said, with a smiling stubbornness which hid something be