hing!--and yet he certainly
_ought_ to be a gentleman, you know. On his mother's side he is
connected with the----"

"That's not the point," snapped Mrs. Wyburn. "And of course I don't mean
to say that--outwardly--he's not. His manner and appearance are
distinguished. It's the soul that's vulgar."

"Ah, I see! You mean you're afraid he isn't one of _nature's_
gentlemen?"

"Nature? How do you mean? He has nothing to do with nature. He's a man
about town."

"Oh, I beg your pardon--I understood he was an artist. And sometimes,
you know, artists are extremely fond of nature; in fact, far _too_
fond."

"I believe all that painting is only done to throw dust in people's
eyes--an excuse for idleness. Candidly, I don't like studios; I don't
think they're respectable."

"I know what you mean; but still, after all"--Miss Westbury made a
feeble attempt at a good-natured defence--"after all, if they all like
it--I mean to say, if they're all so happy, why should we----"

"I doubt if my son is happy."

"Oh, really, really? Do you think he's _ever noticed anything?_ Isn't he
devoted to Harry de Freyne?"

"Of course he hates him like poison," replied the mother.

Miss Westbury started in delighted horror, and replied sharply, "How do
you know that? Did he tell you?"

"Tell me! He would never tell me. Besides, he couldn't tell me--he
doesn't know it."

"And how do you know it?"

"Mothers know everything," she replied.

After a minute's pause, Miss Westbury said--

"But if you feel sure that Romer isn't happy, and that he, almost
unconsciously perhaps, doesn't really like this young man being always
about, mightn't it some day end in some trouble--some explosion?"

"It's quite possible."

"Then I wonder what Romer would do?"

"I know what he would do."

"Good heavens, Isabella, you don't mean to say that he would ever bring
a----"

"It's really strange," said Mrs. Wyburn, "that at your age you should
still be so silly. Will you never learn to understand anything at all?
Of course not. He would protect her."

"Can't something be done? Why don't you speak to Valentia?"

"The advice of a relative-in-law in a case of this kind has never yet
been known to be of any real use, Millie. I can only hope the whole
thing may gradually wear itself out."

"May it be so, my dear!" echoed Miss Westbury, unctuously.

Mrs. Wyburn got up to go.

Miss Westbury helped her to fasten her mantle.

"I'm so glad you loosened