pretty girl, Tasker tells me--wonderfully pretty for one in her
position, a work-girl. Egremont seems to have thought it a pity to let
her be wasted. He's been meeting her secretly for some time--in the
library, of all places, whilst the man Grail was at work, poor fellow!
And at last he carried her off. There's no getting on his track, I'm
told. The question is: What will become of the embryo library? The
whole thing's about the finest joke I've heard for some time.'

Paula had reddened. Her eyes flashed anger.

'I don't know whether you've invented it,' she said, 'or whether your
secretary has, but I know there isn't one word of truth in it.'

'My dear child, it's no invention at all. The affair is the common talk
of Lambeth.'

'Then do you mean to say Mr. Egremont has married this girl?'

'Well, I don't know that we'll discuss that point,' Dalmaine replied,
twiddling his thumbs. 'There's no information to hand.'

'I don't believe it! I tell you I don't believe it! Mr. Egremont is
engaged to my cousin Annabel; and besides, he couldn't do such a thing.
He isn't a man of that kind.'

'Your experience of men is not great, my dear Paula.'

'I don't care! I know Mr. Egremont. Even if you said he'd married her,
it isn't true. You mustn't judge every man by--'

'You were going to say?'

She rose and swept her train over a few yards of floor. Then she came
back and stood before him.

'You tell me that people are saying this?'

'A considerable number of my respected constituents--and their
wives--are saying it. Tasker shall give you judicial evidence, if you
please.'

'I'm sure I'm not going to talk to Mr. Tasker. I dislike him too much
to believe a word he says.'

'Of course. But he is absolutely trustworthy. I called at Egremont's
this afternoon to make sure that he was away from home. Now there is
something for you to talk about, Paula.'

'I shall take very good care that I don't speak a word of it to anyone.
It's contemptible to make up such a story about a man just because you
dislike him.'

'It seemed to me that you were not remarkably fond of him two months or
so ago.'

'Did it?' she said, sarcastically. 'If I know little of men, it's
certain you don't know much more of women.'

He leaned back and laughed. And whilst he laughed Paula quitted the
room.

Paula still kept up her habit of letter-writing. After breakfast next
morning she sat in her pretty boudoir, writing to Annabel. After
sentence