d of silk and lace, and
becomes, in her own majestic way, "perfectly charming." She makes the
most affectionate inquiries about Lady Holchester, about the Dowager
Lady Holchester, about Julius himself. Where have they been? what have
they seen? have time and change helped them to recover the shock of that
dreadful event, to which Lady Lundie dare not more particularly allude?
Julius answers resignedly, and a little absently. He makes polite
inquiries, on his side, as to her ladyship's plans and proceedings--with
a mind uneasily conscious of the inexorable lapse of time, and of
certain probabilities which that lapse may bring with it. Lady Lundie
has very little to say about herself. She is only in town for a few
weeks. Her life is a life of retirement. "My modest round of duties
at Windygates, Lord Holchester; occasionally relieved, when my mind
is overworked, by the society of a few earnest friends whose views
harmonize with my own--my existence passes (not quite uselessly, I hope)
in that way. I have no news; I see nothing--except, indeed, yesterday, a
sight of the saddest kind." She pauses there. Julius observes that he is
expected to make inquiries, and makes them accordingly.

Lady Lundie hesitates; announces that her news refers to that painful
past event which she has already touched on; acknowledges that she could
not find herself in London without feeling an act of duty involved in
making inquiries at the asylum in which Hester Dethridge is confined for
life; announces that she has not only made the inquiries, but has seen
the unhappy woman herself; has spoken to her, has found her unconscious
of her dreadful position, incapable of the smallest exertion of memory,
resigned to the existence that she leads, and likely (in the opinion
of the medical superintendent) to live for some years to come. Having
stated these facts, her ladyship is about to make a few of those
"remarks appropriate to the occasion," in which she excels, when the
door opens; and Lady Holchester, in search of her missing husband,
enters the room.

II.

There is a new outburst of affectionate interest on Lady Lundie's
part--met civilly, but not cordially, by Lady Holchester. Julius's wife
seems, like Julius, to be uneasily conscious of the lapse of time. Like
Julius again, she privately wonders how long Lady Lundie is going to
stay.

Lady Lundie shows no signs of leaving the sofa. She has evidently come
to Holchester House to say something