"does it matter to you or to me?"

"Oh, can't you see?" said the other, flushing deeply, and with the tears
in her eyes. "My father had one of Lord Dunstable's livings. We lived on
that estate for years. Everybody loved Lord Dunstable. And though Lady
Dunstable makes enemies, there's a great respect for the _family_.
They've been there since Queen Elizabeth's time. And it's _dreadful_ to
think of a woman like--well, like that!--reigning at Crosby Ledgers. I
think of the poor people. Lady Dunstable's good to them; though of
course you wouldn't hear anything about it, unless you lived there. She
tries to do her duty to them--she really does--in her own way. And, of
course, they _respect_ her. No Dunstable has ever done anything
disgraceful! Isn't there something in '_Noblesse oblige'? Think_ of this
woman at the head of that estate!"

"Well, upon my word," said Doris, after a pause, "you _are_ feudal.
Don't you feel yourself that you are old-fashioned?"

Mrs. Meadows's half-sarcastic look at first intimidated her visitor, and
then spurred her into further attempts to explain herself.

"I daresay it's old-fashioned," she said slowly, "but I'm sure it's
what father would have felt. Anyway, I went off to try and find out what
I could. I went first to a little club I belong to--for professional
women--near the Strand, and I asked one or two women I found there--who
know artists--and models--and write for papers. And very soon I found
out a great deal. I didn't have to go to the man whose address Mr.
Bentley gave me. Madame Vavasour _is_ a horrid woman! This is not the
first young man she's fleeced--by a long way. There was a man--younger
than Mr. Dunstable, a boy of nineteen--three years ago. She got him to
promise to marry her; and the parents came down, and paid her enormously
to let him go. Now she's got through all that money, and she boasts
she's going to marry young Dunstable before his parents know anything
about it. She's going to make sure of a peerage this time. Oh, she's
odious! She's greedy, she's vulgar, she's false! And of course"--the
girl's eyes grew wide and scared--"there may be other things much worse.
How do we know?"

"How do we know indeed!" said Doris, with a shrug. "Well!"--she turned
her eyes full upon her guest--"and what are you going to do?"

An eager look met hers.

"Couldn't you--couldn't you write to Mr. Meadows, and ask him to warn
Lady Dunstable?"

Doris shook her head.

"Why don't