ft without
everything that he wants."

"But he will want money."

"He has plenty of money for that. Do you take it quietly, and not
make a fool of yourself. If the worst comes to the worst--"

"Oh, heavens!"

"Listen to me, if you can listen. Should the worst come to the worst,
which I believe to be altogether impossible,--mind, I think it next
to impossible, for I have never for a moment believed him to be
guilty,--we will,--visit him,--together. Good-bye now. I am going
to see that friend of his, Mr. Low." So saying Lord Chiltern went,
leaving the two women together.

"Why should he be so savage with me?" said Lady Laura.

"He does not mean to be savage."

"Does he speak to you like that? What right has he to tell me of
shame? Has my life been so bad, and his so good? Do you think it
shameful that I should love this man?" She sat looking into her
friend's face, but her friend for a while hesitated to answer. "You
shall tell me, Violet. We have known each other so well that I can
bear to be told by you. Do not you love him?"

"I love him!--certainly not."

"But you did."

"Not as you mean. Who can define love, and say what it is? There are
so many kinds of love. We say that we love the Queen."

"Psha!"

"And we are to love all our neighbours. But as men and women talk of
love, I never at any moment of my life loved any man but my husband.
Mr. Finn was a great favourite with me,--always."

"Indeed he was."

"As any other man might be,--or any woman. He is so still, and with
all my heart I hope that this may be untrue."

"It is false as the Devil. It must be false. Can you think of the
man,--his sweetness, the gentle nature of him, his open, free speech,
and courage, and believe that he would go behind his enemy and knock
his brains out in the dark? I can conceive it of myself, that I
should do it, much easier than of him."

"Oswald says it is false."

"But he says it as partly believing that it is true. If it be true I
will hang myself. There will be nothing left among men or women fit
to live for. You think it shameful that I should love him."

"I have not said so."

"But you do."

"I think there is cause for shame in your confessing it."

"I do confess it."

"You ask me, and press me, and because we have loved one another so
well I must answer you. If a woman, a married woman,--be oppressed by
such a feeling, she should lay it down at the bottom of her heart,
out of sight, never mention