n up to her room before he went to Mrs. Carbuncle.

Lizzie, in sending to him, had some half-formed idea of a romantic
farewell. The man, she thought, had behaved very badly to her,--had
accepted very much from her hands, and had refused to give her
anything in return; had become the first depository of her great
secret, and had placed no mutual confidence in her. He had been harsh
to her, and unjust; and then, too, he had declined to be in love with
her! She was full of spite against Lord George, and would have been
glad to injure him. But, nevertheless, there would be some excitement
in a farewell in which some mock affection might be displayed, and
she would have an opportunity of abusing Mrs. Carbuncle.

"So you are off to-morrow?" said Lord George, taking his place on the
rug before her fire, and looking down at her with his head a little
on one side. Lizzie's anger against the man chiefly arose from a
feeling that he treated her with all a Corsair's freedom without
any of a Corsair's tenderness. She could have forgiven the want of
deferential manner, had there been any devotion;--but Lord George was
both impudent and indifferent.

"Yes," she said. "Thank goodness, I shall get out of this frightful
place to-morrow, and soon have once more a roof of my own over my
head. What an experience I have had since I have been here!"

"We have all had an experience," said Lord George, still looking at
her with that half-comic turn of his face,--almost as though he were
investigating some curious animal of which so remarkable a specimen
had never before come under his notice.

"No woman ever intended to show a more disinterested friendship than
I have done; and what has been my return?"

"You mean to me?--disinterested friendship to me?" And Lord George
tapped his breast lightly with his fingers. His head was still a
little on one side, and there was still the smile upon his face.

"I was alluding particularly to Mrs. Carbuncle."

"Lady Eustace, I cannot take charge of Mrs. Carbuncle's friendships.
I have enough to do to look after my own. If you have any complaint
to make against me,--I will at least listen to it."

"God knows I do not want to make complaints," said Lizzie, covering
her face with her hands.

"They don't do much good;--do they? It's better to take people as you
find 'em, and then make the best of 'em. They're a queer lot;--ain't
they,--the sort of people one meets about in the world?"

"I don't kn