ou know, who is that very handsome woman
with the white hair?" said Lady Engleton. "She is talking to Mrs.
Walker. I seem to know the face."

"Oh, that is Miss Valeria Du Prel, the authoress of those books that
Mrs. Walker is so shocked at."

"Oh, of course; how stupid of me. I should like to have some
conversation with her."

"That's easily managed. I don't think she and Mrs. Walker quite
appreciate each other."

Lady Engleton laughed.

Mrs. Walker was anxiously watching her daughters, and endeavouring to
keep them at a distance from Miss Du Prel, who looked tragically bored.

Joseph Fleming found means to release her, and Lady Engleton's desire
was gratified. "I admire your books so much, Miss Du Prel, and I have so
often wished to see more of you; but you have been abroad for the last
two years, I hear."

Lady Engleton, after asking the authoress to explain exactly what she
meant by her last book, enquired if she had the latest news of Professor
Fortescue. Lady Engleton had heard, with regret, that he had been
greatly worried about that troublesome nephew whom he had educated and
sent to Oxford.

"The young fellow had been behaving very badly," Miss Du Prel said.

"Ungrateful creature," cried Lady Engleton. "Running into debt I
suppose."

Miss Du Prel feared that the Professor was suffering in health. He had
been working very hard.

"Oh, yes; what was that about some method of killing animals
instantaneously to avoid the horrors of the slaughter-house? Professor
Theobald has been saying what a pity it is that a man so able should
waste his time over these fads. It would never bring him fame or profit,
only ridicule. Every man had his little weakness, but this idea of
saving pain to animals, Professor Theobald said, was becoming a sort of
mania with poor Fortescue, and one feared that it might injure his
career. He was greatly looked up to in the scientific world, but this
sort of thing of course----

"Though it is nice of him in a way," added Lady Engleton.

"His weaknesses are nobler than most people's virtues," said Miss Du
Prel.

"Then you number this among his weaknesses?"

Algitha, who had joined the group, put this question.

"I would rather see him working in the cause of humanity," Miss Du Prel
answered.

Ernest surprised everyone by suggesting that possibly humanity was well
served, in the long run, by reminding it of the responsibility that goes
with power, and by giving it an object