Lord Rockminster--how did Lord
Rockminster manage to tolerate this uncouth creature?--was his
good-natured devotion to his three accomplished sisters equal even to
that?

Lionel did not proceed to ask himself why he had grown suddenly jealous
of a man whom he himself had introduced to Lady Adela Cunyngham. Yet the
reason was not far to seek. Before his visit to Scotland, it would have
mattered little to him if any one of his lady friends--or any half dozen
of them, for the matter of that--had appeared inclined to put some other
favorite in his place; for he had an abundant acquaintance in the
fashionable world; and, indeed, had grown somewhat callous to their
polite attentions. But Lady Adela and her two sisters were relations of
Honnor Cunyngham; they were going down to Brighton this very week; he
was anxious (though hardly knowing why) to stand well in their opinion
and be of importance in their eyes. As he now walked home he thought he
would go and call on Lady Adela the following afternoon; if she were
going down to that house in Adelaide Crescent, there would be plenty of
talk among the women-folk; his name might be mentioned.

Next morning there was no further word of Nina. When he had got his
fencing over, he went along to Sloane Street, but hardly with any
expectation of news. No, Estelle had nothing to tell him; Nina had gone
away--and wished to remain undiscovered.

"Poor Nina!" said Estelle, with a sigh.

Somewhat early in the afternoon he went up to Campden Hill. Lady Adela
was at home. He noticed that the man-servant who ushered him into the
drawing-room was very slow and circumspect about it, as if he wished to
give ample warning to those within; and, indeed, just as he had come
into the hall, he had fancied he heard a faint shriek, which startled
him not a little. When he now entered the room he found Miss Georgie
Lestrange standing in the middle of the floor, while Lady Adela was
seated at a small writing-table a little way off. They both greeted him
in the most friendly fashion; and then Miss Georgie (a little
embarrassed, as he imagined) went towards the French window and looked
out into the wintry garden.

"You have come most opportunely, Mr. Moore," said Lady Adela, in her
pleasant way. "I'm sure you'll be able to tell us: how high would a
woman naturally throw her arms on coming suddenly on a dead body?"

He was somewhat staggered.

"I--I'm sure I don't know."

"You see, Georgie has been s