dyship was installed in that suite, which, though in the east wing,
was commonly reckoned to be one of the best in the house. Heaven knows
how she did it. There is a pertinacity, shameless and violent, which
gains its ends, be the crowd between never so dense. It is possible that
Mr. Smith would have ousted her had he dared. It is possible he had to
pay forfeit to the rightful tenants, and in private cursed her for an
old jade and a brimstone. But when a viscountess sits herself down in
the middle of a room and declines to budge, she cannot with decency be
taken up like a sack of hops and dumped in the passage.

Her ladyship, therefore, won, and had the pleasure of viewing from the
coveted window the scene between Julia and Sir George; a scene which
gave her the profoundest satisfaction. What she could not see--her eyes
were no longer all that they had been--she imagined. In five minutes
she had torn up the last rag of the girl's character, and proved her as
bad as the worst woman that ever rode down Cheapside in a cart. Lady
Dunborough was not mealy-mouthed, nor one of those who mince matters.

'What did I tell you?' she cried. 'She will be on with that stuck-up
before night, and be gone with morning. If Dunborough comes back he may
whistle for her!'

Mr. Thomasson did not doubt that her ladyship was right. But he spoke
with indifferent spirit. He had had a bad night, had lain anywhere, and
dressed nowhere, and was chilly and unkempt. Apart from the awe in which
he stood of her ladyship, he would have returned to Oxford by the first
coach that morning.

'Dear me!' Lady Dunborough announced presently. 'I declare he is leaving
her! Lord, how the slut ogles him! She is a shameless baggage if ever
there was one; and ruddled to the eyes, as I can see from here. I hope
the white may kill her! Well, I'll be bound it won't be long before he
is to her again! My fine gentleman is like the rest of them--a damned
impudent fellow!'

Mr. Thomasson turned up his eyes. 'There was something a little
odd--does not your lady think so?'--he ventured to say, 'in her taking
possession of Sir George's rooms as she did.'

'Did I not say so? Did I not say that very thing?'

'It seems to prove an understanding between them before they met here
last night.'

'I'll take my oath on it!' her ladyship cried with energy. Then in a
tone of exultation she continued, 'Ah! here he is again, as I thought!
And come round by the street to mask the