impostors, both of us."

He spoke savagely, and turned to re-enter his dressing-room, in the door
of which Bessie stood, with her great blue eyes fixed wonderingly and
sadly upon him. She had heard all the conversation, and there was a
troubled look on her face, as she said:

"What is an impostor, papa? What does it mean?"

"It means," he answered, "that we impose upon people every hour of our
lives, passing ourselves off for what we are not. People suppose we have
money, when we haven't a shilling to spare, and owe everybody besides."

"I see; it means we are shams, and not real," Bessie said, and her
bright face was overclouded with an expression pitiful to see in one so
young.

This was the McPhersons' first day at Penrhyn Park, but the little
passage at arms did not at all dim Daisy's sky. Something would turn up,
she knew; and at dinner something did turn up, for Mrs. Smithers
mentioned to Archie that her husband had fallen in with the young Irish
lord who had been for a day or two at the pension in Florence, and,
remembering how intimate he was with Mr. McPherson he had invited him to
spend a week at Penrhyn Park, and the young man had accepted, and would
arrive the 10th. There was a gleam of triumph in Daisy's eyes as they
met her husband's. The presence of Lord Hardy meant money, for she had
only to lament her poverty and talk of burying herself at Stoneleigh,
and instantly the generous Irishman would insist upon relieving her
present needs.

"It is only a loan. You can pay me some time when your ship comes in,
and really I have more than I know what to do with."

This was always Lord Hardy's argument, to which Daisy yielded, and went
on piling up the debt which she insisted would be paid in some way, and
her thoughts always turned to the old aunt in America, through whom
relief must some day come. But Archie knew better, and their
indebtedness to Lord Hardy filled him with shame, just as Daisy's
intimacy with the young man filled him with disgust, though he had
perfect faith in the Irishman, whose worst fault was an open and hearty
admiration for a married woman; and, to a certain extent, he had faith
in Daisy, who, much as she might compromise her good name by flirtation,
would never break her marriage vow in the letter, even if she did in
spirit. In a way she would be true to him always, but the world did not
know her as he did, and he knew perfectly well how she was talked about
and her frivolous co