that wanton
old thing--the empress of disorderliness? You have to recollect, as the
Conservative acutely suggests, that her timidities, at present urging
her to support Establishments, pertain to her state of dependence. The
party views of Conservatism are, must be, founded, we should remember,
on an intimate acquaintance with her in the situations where she
is almost unrestrictedly free and her laughter rings to confirm the
sentences of classical authors and Eastern sages. Conservatives know
what they are about when they refuse to fling the last lattice of an
ancient harem open to air and sun-the brutal dispersers of mystery,
which would despoil an ankle of its flying wink.

Victor's opinions were those of the entrenched majority; objecting to
the occult power of women, as we have the women now, while legislating
to maintain them so; and forbidding a step to a desperately wicked
female world lest the step should be to wickeder. His opinions were in
the background, rarely stirred; but the lady had brought them forward;
and he fretted at his restlessness, vexed that it should be due to the
intrusion of the sex instead of to the charms of the individual. No
sting of the sort had bothered him, he called to mind, on board the
Channel boat-nothing to speak of. 'Why does she come here! Why didn't
she go to her husband! She gets into the City scramble blindfold, and
catches at the nearest hand to help her out! Nice woman enough.' Yes,
but he was annoyed with her for springing sensations that ran altogether
heartless to the object, at the same time that they were disloyal to the
dear woman their natural divinity. And between him and that dear woman,
since the communication made by Skepsey in the town of Dreux, nightly
the dividing spirit of Mrs. Burman lay cold as a corpse. They both felt
her there. They kissed coldly, pressed a hand, said good night.

Next afternoon the announcement by Skepsey of the Hon. Dudley Sowerby,
surprised Victor's eyebrows at least, and caused him genially to review
the visit of Lady Grace.

Whether or not Colney Durance drew his description of a sunken nobility
from the 'sick falcon' distinguishing the handsome features of Mr.
Sowerby, that beaked invalid was particularly noticeable to Victor
during the statement of his case, although the young gentleman was far
from being one, in Colney's words, to enliven the condition of domestic
fowl with an hereditary turn for 'preying'; eminently the reverse;