pect that," Mrs. Delarayne replied. "But in case. You
see Cleopatra was so different. I never had any difficulty with her. Her
reserve was always so rigid, I would have trusted her as a _cantiniere_
in a barracks of Zouaves. I never spoke a word about anything to
Cleopatra. But Leonetta!"

"Yes, I see. You think Leonetta different?"

"What ought I to do? Do help me! Some say this and some say that. Some
say that a mother should speak; some say that they never did, and they
don't see why I should. My sister, Miss Mallowcoid, you know, says I
ought to."

Lord Henry gave vent to an expletive of contempt.

"I'll do what you say;--only what you say," said the harassed matron,
resting a hand on his.

"You should begin, my dear lady," Lord Henry replied, "by utterly
distrusting all the nonsense the modern world says on this subject."

"But I do,--I don't! I mean, I pay no heed to what anybody says but
you."

A shadow from the Inner Light passed across Lord Henry's mind; but that,
he rightly imagined, was the widow's last little fortress against him.

"The bond that unites parent to child is a very precious one," Lord
Henry continued. "It is, however, as brittle as it is precious. A
trifle will snap it. Now there is one aspect of the relationship between
parent and child, the physical aspect, the physical relation, which lies
beneath a sort of sacred seal: it is deliberately never fully realised;
it does not require to be fully realised, particularly by the child----"

Mrs. Delarayne nodded quickly and smiled.

"Think of the havoc you may create, through yourself breaking this seal
by calling this delicate aspect into prominence, by discussing with your
child all those matters which, as between you and her, by virtue of your
relationship, are a closed book!"

"Yes, I see, I see," cried the widow quickly. "My feelings, my
instincts, were always against it from the very start, and I see now
that I was right."

"The modern world is immensely stupid; few of us know how immensely
stupid it is. Everything that modern thought expresses, on this subject,
particularly, you must feel sure therefore is utterly and radically
absurd. You cannot afford to weaken the precious bond that unites you to
your children; therefore do not attempt this business."

"Yes, I see. Yes, you are right. I feel you are right."

"It can only lead to the most acute embarrassment as between parent and
child,--however well it is done;--and you wo