und.

"Who is this?" she asked, measuring the elegant figure with an evil eye.
And Mr. Caryll felt it in his bones that she had done him the honor to
dislike him at sight.

"It is a gentleman who--who--" His lordship thought it better,
apparently, not to explain the exact circumstances under which he had
met the gentleman. He shifted ground. "I was about to present him,
my love. It is Mr. Caryll--Mr. Justin Caryll. This, sir, is my Lady
Ostermore."

Mr. Caryll made her a profound bow. Her ladyship retorted with a sniff.

"Is it a kinsman of yours, my lord?" and the contempt of the question
was laden with a suggestion that smote Mr. Caryll hard. What she implied
in wanton offensive mockery was no more than he alone present knew to be
the exact and hideous truth.

"Some remote kinsman, I make no doubt," the earl explained. "Until
yesterday I had not the honor of his acquaintance. Mr. Caryll is from
France."

"Ye'll be a Jacobite, no doubt, then," were her first, uncompromising
words to the guest.

Mr. Caryll made her another bow. "If I were, I should make no secret
of it with your ladyship," he answered with that irritating suavity in
which he clothed his most obvious sarcasms.

Her ladyship opened her eyes a little wider. Here was a tone she was
unused to. "And what may your business with his lordship be?"

"His lordship's business, I think," answered Mr. Caryll in a tone of
such exquisite politeness and deference that the words seemed purged of
all their rudeness.

"Will you answer me so, sir?" she demanded, nevertheless, her voice
quivering.

"My love!" interpolated his lordship hurriedly, his florid face aflush.
"We are vastly indebted to Mr. Caryll, as you shall learn. It was he who
saved Hortensia."

"Saved the drab, did he? And from what, pray?"

"Madam!" It was Hortensia who spoke. She had risen, pale with anger, and
she made appeal now to her guardian. "My lord, I'll not remain to be so
spoken of. Suffer me to go. That her ladyship should so speak of me to
my face--and to a stranger!"

"Stranger!" crowed her ladyship. "Lard! And what d'ye suppose will
happen? Are you so nice about a stranger hearing what I may have to say
of you--you that will be the talk of the whole lewd town for this fine
escapade? And what'll the town say of you?"

"My love!" his lordship sought again to soothe her. "Sylvia, let me
implore you! A little moderation! A little charity! Hortensia has been
foolish. She confess