an--he had such worthy eyes. His principal
defect was that he treated all subjects as if they were equally
important; but that was perhaps better than treating them with equal
levity. If one took an interest in him one might not despair of teaching
him to discriminate.

Laura said nothing at first to her sister about her appointment with
him: the feelings with which she regarded Selina were not such as to
make it easy for her to talk over matters of conduct, as it were, with
this votary of pleasure at any price, or at any rate to report her
arrangements to her as one would do to a person of fine judgment. All
the same, as she had a horror of positively hiding anything (Selina
herself did that enough for two) it was her purpose to mention at
luncheon on the day of the event that she had agreed to accompany Mr.
Wendover to St. Paul's. It so happened however that Mrs. Berrington was
not at home at this repast; Laura partook of it in the company of Miss
Steet and her young charges. It very often happened now that the
sisters failed to meet in the morning, for Selina remained very late in
her room and there had been a considerable intermission of the girl's
earlier custom of visiting her there. It was Selina's habit to send
forth from this fragrant sanctuary little hieroglyphic notes in which
she expressed her wishes or gave her directions for the day. On the
morning I speak of her maid put into Laura's hand one of these
communications, which contained the words: 'Please be sure and replace
me with the children at lunch--I meant to give them that hour to-day.
But I have a frantic appeal from Lady Watermouth; she is worse and
beseeches me to come to her, so I rush for the 12.30 train.' These lines
required no answer and Laura had no questions to ask about Lady
Watermouth. She knew she was tiresomely ill, in exile, condemned to
forego the diversions of the season and calling out to her friends, in a
house she had taken for three months at Weybridge (for a certain
particular air) where Selina had already been to see her. Selina's
devotion to her appeared commendable--she had her so much on her mind.
Laura had observed in her sister in relation to other persons and
objects these sudden intensities of charity, and she had said to
herself, watching them--'Is it because she is bad?--does she want to
make up for it somehow and to buy herself off from the penalties?'

Mr. Wendover called for his _cicerone_ and they agreed to go in a