t on without Violet Vere!" Here
she opened her purse and took out some bank-notes, which she folded and
slipped inside an envelope. "Then I may have the letter?" she continued.

"You may and welcome!" returned Violet.

Lady Winsleigh instantly held out the envelope, which she as instantly
clutched. "Especially if you'll tell Sir Philip Errington to mind his
own business!" She paused, and a dark flush mounted to her brow--one of
those sudden flushes that purpled rather than crimsoned her face. "Yes,"
she repeated, "as he's a friend of yours, just tell him I said he was to
mind his own business! Lord! what does he want to come here and preach
at me for! I don't want his sermons! Moral!" here she laughed rather
hoarsely, "I'm as moral as any one on the stage! Who says I'm not! Take
'em all round--there's not a soul behind the footlights more open and
above-board than I am!"

And her eyes flashed defiantly.

"She's been drinking?" thought Lady Winsleigh disgustedly. In fact, the
"Vere's Own" tipple had begun to take its usual effect, which was to
make the Vere herself both blatant and boisterous.

"I'm sure," said her ladyship with frigid politeness, "that you are
everything that is quite charming, Miss Vere! I have a great respect for
the--the ornaments of the English stage. Society has quite thrown down
its former barriers, you know!--the members of your profession are
received in the very best circles--"

"I ain't!" said Violet, with ungrammatical candor. "Your Irvings and
your Terrys, your Mary Andersons and your Langtrys,--they're good enough
for your fine drawing-rooms, and get more invitations out than they can
accept. And none of them have got half my talent, I tell you! Lord bless
my soul! if they're respectable enough for you,--so am I!"

And she struck her hand emphatically on the table, Lady Winsleigh looked
at her with a slight smile.

"I must really say good-bye!" she said, rising and gathering her furs
about her. "I could talk with you all the morning, Miss Vere, but I have
so many engagements! Besides I mustn't detain _you_! I'm so much obliged
to you for your kind reception of me!"

"Don't mention, it!" and Violet glanced her over with a kind of sullen
sarcasm. "I'm bound to please Lennie when I can, you know!"

Again Lady Winsleigh shivered a little, but forced herself to shake
hands with the notorious stage-Jezebel.

"I shall come and see you in the new piece," she said graciously. "I
always