Lady May was thinking of. There was
warrant for the question in the wondering despair of Lady Mildmay and the
sad embarrassment of debonair Sir Winterton. The Mildmays knew all about
it, the whole thing had happened in their house; but Sir Winterton,
challenged with the story about Sir Rufus, could only hum and ha, and
Lady Mildmay had not denied the interview between Quisante's wife and the
energetic Dr. Manton. What was the meaning of it? And, once again, what
was Lady May Quisante thinking of? Was she blind, was she careless? Or
were the doctors idiots? The world, conscious of its own physical
frailty, shrank from the last question and confined its serious attention
to the two preceding ones. "Does she want to kill him?" asked the honest
graspers of the obvious. "Does she think him above all laws?" was the
question of those who wished to be more subtle. At least she was a
puzzle. All agreed on that.

Lady Richard discountenanced all speculation and all questionings. For
her part she did her duty, mentioning to Mrs. Baxter that this was what
she meant to do and that, whatever happened, she intended to be able,
_salva conscientia_, to tell herself that she had done it; Mrs. Baxter
approved, saying that this was what the second Mrs. Greening had done
when her husband's sister's daughter, a very emancipated young woman as
it seemed, had incomprehensibly flirted with the auctioneer's apprentice
and had scouted Mrs. Greening's control; Mrs. Greening had told the
girl's mother and sent the girl home, second class, under the care of the
guard. Similarly then Lady Richard, without embarking on any consideration
of ultimate problems, wrote to May, suggesting that Mr. Quisante wanted
rest and putting Ashwood at her disposal for so long as she and her
husband might be pleased to occupy it. "If they don't choose to go, it's
not my fault," said Lady Richard with the sigh which declares that every
reasonable requirement of conscience has been fulfilled. Happy lady, to
be able to repose in this conviction by the simple expedient of lending a
house not otherwise required at the moment! So kind are we to our own
actions that Lady Richard felt meritorious.

They chose to go, and went unaccompanied save by their baby girl and Aunt
Maria--this last a strange addition made at Quisante's own request. He
had not been wont to show such a desire for the old lady's society when
there was nothing to be gained by seeking it; nor had it seemed t