lda will be a duchess after all--now!'

And he left the house, feeling as he passed out that the very footmen
by the entrance knew of his discomfiture, and carrying away with him
for a lasting recollection Mabel's look of radiant happiness as she
heard Mark so completely vindicated.

'Revenge is sweet,' he thought bitterly, 'but I kept mine too long,
and it's turned devilish sour!'

'Well, my dear,' said Mr. Featherstone to his wife, 'you've been
leaving your other young people to their own devices all this time.
Wouldn't it be as well to go and look after them?'

The dancing had been going on in the adjoining room while all this was
taking place, now and then the doors had been tried by couples in
search of a cool retreat between the waltzes, but no one suspected
what important revelations were being made within.

Mrs. Featherstone was deeply mortified. It was true she had got rid of
a hated presence, but her play--which she had meant to make the
closing event of the season, and by which she had hoped to conquer one
or two of the remaining rungs of the social ladder--her play was
rendered impossible; this affair would get into the society papers,
with every perversion which wit or malice could supply--she would be
made thoroughly ridiculous!

'I'll go,' she said. 'I must get rid of everybody as soon as I
decently can--this shocking business has completely upset me.'

Mark and Vincent were standing together at the door, and as she passed
out she visited some of her pent-up displeasure upon them.

'Well, Mr. Ashburn and Mr. Holroyd,' she said, in tones that were
intended to sound playful, 'I hope you are quite contented with your
little mystification? Such a very original idea on both your parts,
really. How it must have amused you both to see me making such an
absurd exhibition of myself all this time. Seriously, though, I do
consider I have been very, _very_ shabbily treated--you might have
warned me as a friend, Mr. Ashburn, without betraying any one's
confidence! No, don't explain, either of you: I could not bear any
more explanations just now!'

Mr. Langton, as he followed her, took Mark out with him, and as soon
as they were alone gave full vent to his own indignation.

'I don't understand your conceptions of honour,' he said. 'Whatever
your duty might be to Vincent, you clearly had duties towards my
daughter and myself. Do you suppose I should have given her to you if
I had known? It just comes to this