other means. She was quite willing that it should
appear to come to Mr. Finn from her father and not from herself. Did
her brother think any ill of her? Did he believe in the calumnies of
the newspapers? Did he or his wife for a moment conceive that she
had a lover? When he looked at her, worn out, withered, an old woman
before her time, was it possible that he should so believe? She
herself asked him these questions. Lord Chiltern of course declared
that he had no suspicion of the kind, "No;--indeed," said Lady Laura.
"I defy any one to suspect me who knows me. And if so, why am not I
as much entitled to help a friend as you might be? You need not even
mention my name." He endeavoured to make her understand that her
name would be mentioned, and others would believe and would say evil
things. "They cannot say worse than they have said," she continued.
"And yet what harm have they done to me,--or you?" Then he demanded
why she desired to go so far out of her way with the view of spending
her money upon one who was in no way connected with her. "Because
I like him better than any one else," she answered, boldly. "There
is very little left for which I care at all;--but I do care for his
prosperity. He was once in love with me and told me so,--but I had
chosen to give my hand to Mr. Kennedy. He is not in love with me
now,--nor I with him; but I choose to regard him as my friend." He
assured her over and over again that Phineas Finn would certainly
refuse to touch her money;--but this she declined to believe. At any
rate the trial might be made. He would not refuse money left to him
by will, and why should he not now enjoy that which was intended for
him? Then she explained how certain it was that he must speedily
vanish out of the world altogether, unless some assurance of an
income were made to him. So Lord Chiltern went on his mission, hardly
meaning to make the offer, and confident that it would be refused
if made. We know the nature of the new trouble in which he found
Phineas Finn enveloped. It was such that Lord Chiltern did not open
his mouth about money, and now, having witnessed the scene at the
police-office, he had come back to tell his tale to his sister. She
was sitting with his wife when he entered the room.

"Have you heard anything?" he asked at once.

"Heard what?" said his wife.

"Then you have not heard it. A man has been murdered."

"What man?" said Lady Laura, jumping suddenly from her seat. "Not