turned it to Mrs. Potten.

Mrs. Potten opened her bag disclosing the shilling pincushion (which now
she need not have bought) and placed the collar within. Then she shut
the bag with a snap, and looked so innocent that Gwendolen almost
laughed.

No, Gwen was not wanted any more. She turned and went. Mrs. Potten
deserved to lose money! "Yes, she did, and in any case," thought Gwen,
"at any moment I can say, 'Oh yes, I quite forgot I had the note. How
stupid, how awfully stupid,' etc."

So she went down the stairs and out into the terrace.

A few steps away she saw Mr. Bingham, coming back again. This time
alone.

As soon as Gwen had gone Mrs. Potten remarked, "Now I must be going!"
and then sat on, as people do.

"Very pretty girl, Gwendolen Scott," she added.

"Very pretty," said Lady Dashwood.

"Lady Belinda wrote to me a day or two ago, asking me if Gwen could come
on to me from you on Monday."

"Oh!" said Lady Dashwood, but she uttered the exclamation wearily.

"I have written and told her that I'm afraid I can't," said Mrs. Potten.
"Can't!"

Lady Dashwood looked away as if the subject was ended.

"If I have the child, it will mean that the mother will insist on coming
to fetch her away or something." Here Mrs. Potten fidgeted with her bag.
"And I really scarcely know Lady Belinda. It was the husband we used to
know, old General Scott, poor dear silly old man!"

Lady Dashwood received the remark in silence.

"I can't do with some of these modern women," continued Mrs. Potten.
"There are women whose names I could tell you that I would not trust
with a tin halfpenny. My dear, I've seen with my own eyes at a hotel
restaurant a well-dressed woman sweep up the tip left for the waiter by
the person who had just gone, I saw that the waiters saw it, but they
daren't do anything. I saw a friend of mine speaking to her afterwards!
Knew her! Quite respectable! Fancy the audacity of it!"

Lady Dashwood now rested her head on the back of her chair and allowed
Mrs. Potten to talk on.

"I'm afraid there's nothing of the Good Samaritan in me," said Mrs.
Potten, in a self-satisfied tone. "I can't undertake the responsibility
of a girl who is billeted out by her mother--instead of being given a
decent home. I think you're simply angelic to have had her for so long,
Lena."

Lady Dashwood's silence only excited Mrs. Potten's curiosity. "Most
girls now seem to be doing something or other," she said. "Why, one
even