ve!" commented her
ladyship sourly. "As I'm a woman, it is monstrous I should be inflicted
with the care of you that have no care for yourself."

Hortensia bit her lip, controlling herself bravely, a spot of red in
either cheek. Mr. Caryll came promptly to her rescue.

"Your ladyship must confess that Mistress Winthrop has assisted nobly in
the care of me, and so, has placed your ladyship in her debt."

"In my debt?" shrilled the countess, eyebrows aloft, head-dress nodding.
"And what of yours?"

"In my clumsy way, ma'am, I have already attempted to convey my thanks
to her. It might be graceful in your ladyship to follow my example."

Mentally Mr. Caryll observed that it is unwise to rouge so heavily as
did Lady Ostermore when prone to anger and to paling under it. The false
color looks so very false on such occasions.

Her ladyship struck the ground with her cane. "For what have I to thank
her, sir? Will you tell me that, you who seem so very well informed."

"Why, for her part in saving your son's life, ma'am, if you must have
it. Heaven knows," he continued in his characteristic, half-bantering
manner, under which it was so difficult to catch a glimpse of his real
feelings, "I am not one to throw services done in the face of folk, but
here have Mistress Winthrop and I been doing our best for your son in
this matter; she by so diligently nursing me; I by responding to her
nursing--and your ladyship's--and so, recovering from my wound. I do
not think that your ladyship shows us a becoming gratitude. It is but
natural that we fellow-workers in your ladyship's and Lord Rotherby's
interests, should have a word to say to each other on the score of those
labors which have made us colleagues."

Her ladyship measured him with a malignant eye. "Are you quite mad,
sir?" she asked him.

He shrugged and smiled. "It has been alleged against me on occasion. But
I think it was pure spite." Then he waved his hand towards the long seat
that stood at the back of the arbor. "Will your ladyship not sit? You
will forgive that I urge it in my own interest. They tell me that it is
not good for me to stand too long just yet."

It was his hope that she would depart. Not so. "I cry you mercy!" said
she acidly, and rustled to the bench. "Be seated, pray." She continued
to watch them with her baleful glance. "We have heard fine things from
you, sir, of what you have both done for my Lord Rotherby," she gibed,
mocking him with the spir