ke my wine at dinner, as you saw."

"I want to ask you one special question--about Lady Ongar."

"I will say anything in her favor that you please. I am always ready to
say anything in the favor of any lady, and, if needs be, to swear it. Bu
anything against any lady nobody ever heard me say."

Harry was sharp enough to perceive that any assertion made under such a
stipulation was worse than nothing. It was as when a man, in denying the
truth of a statement, does so with an assurance that on that subject he
should consider himself justified in telling any number of lies. "I did
not write the book--but you have no right to ask the question; and I
should say that I had not, even if I had." Pateroff was speaking of Lady
Ongar in this way, and Harry hated him for doing so.

"I don't want you to say any good of her," said he, "or any evil."

"I certainly shall say no evil of her."

"But I think you know that she has been most cruelly treated."

"Well, there is about seven-thousand-pounds a year, I think!
Seven-thousand a year! Not francs, but pounds! We poor foreigners lose
ourselves in amazement when we hear about your English fortunes.
Seven-thousand pounds a year for a lady all alone, and a beautiful
house! A house so beautiful, they tell me!"

"What has that to do with it?" said Harry; whereupon the count again
shrugged his shoulders. "What has that to do with it? Because the man
was rich he was not justified in ill-treating his wife. Did he not bring
false accusations against her, in order that he might rob her after his
death of all that of which you think so much? Did he not hear false
witness against her, to his own dishonor?"

"She has got the money, I think--and the beautiful house."

"But her name has been covered with lies."

"What can I do? Why do you ask me? I know nothing. Look here, Mr.
Clavering, if you want to make any inquiry you had better go to my
sister. I don't see what good it will do, but she will talk to you by
the hour together, if you wish it. Let us smoke."

"Your sister?"

"Yes, my sister. Madame Gordeloup is her name. Has not Lady Ongar
mentioned my sister? They are inseparables. My sister lives in Mount
Street."

"With you?"

"No, not with me; I do not live in Mount Street. I have my address
sometimes at her house."

"Madame Gordeloup?"

"Yes, Madame Gordeloup. She is Lady Ongar's friend. She will talk to
you."

"Will you introduce me, Count Pateroff?"

"Oh, no; it is