"Not conduct, my dear--no, not conduct, only money," protested Lord
Fallowfeild.

"If money is not conduct I really don't know what is," retorted his
daughter. "I do not pretend to go in for such fine distinctions. In any
case Mr. Barking heard the most shocking rumours at his club the other
day."

"Did he though?" ejaculated Lord Fallowfeild.

"He was too considerate to tell me anything very definite, but he felt
that, going out and seeing everybody as of course I have to, it was
only right I should have some hint of what was being said. Every one is
talking about Shotover. You can imagine how perfectly intolerable it is
for me to feel that my brother's debts are being canvassed in this sort
of way."

"I am very sorry there should be any gossip," Lord Fallowfeild said
humbly. "Nasty thing gossip--lies, too, mostly, all of it. Nasty, low,
unprofitable thing gossip."

"And, of course, your all not coming up will give colour to it."

"Will it though? I never thought of that. You always see straight
through things, Louisa. You have by far the best head in the family,
except Ludovic--uncommonly clever fellow Ludovic. Wonder if I had
better talk it all over with Ludovic. If you and he agree in thinking
our not coming up will make more talk, why, if only on Shotover's
account, I----"

But this was not in the least the turn which his daughter desired the
conversation to take.

"Pray remember you have other children besides Shotover, papa!" she
said hastily. "And for every one's sake run no further risk of
impoverishing yourself. It is obvious that you must save where you can.
If there is the chance of a good let for the Belgrave Square house, it
would be madness to refuse it. And, after all, you do not really care
about London. If there are any important debates in the Lords, you can
always come up for a night or so. It does not matter about you."

"Oh! doesn't it though?" Lord Fallowfeild put in quite humbly and
gently.

"And mama would always rather stay on at Whitney. Only it must not
appear as if we were the least uncomfortable at meeting people. I shall
make it a point to go everywhere. I shall be dreadfully fagged, of
course, but I feel it a duty to all of you to do so. And I should like
the girls to go out too. People must not suppose they have no gowns to
their backs. Maggie and Emily have had several seasons. I am less
worried about them. But Connie must be seen. She is looking extremely
pretty."

"I