e ashamed of? Show her face indeed! I cannot
understand the spite which one woman will sometimes have to another."

"There is no spite, John; and it's very wrong of you to say so," said
Mary, defending herself. "But it is a very unpleasant thing for a
girl to be jilted. All the world knows that she was engaged to him."

"And all the world knows--" But he would not proceed to declare that
all the world knew that also Crosbie had been well thrashed for his
baseness. It would not become him to mention that, even before his
mother and sister. All the world did know it; all the world that
cared to know anything of the matter,--except Lily Dale herself.
Nobody had ever yet told Lily Dale of that occurrence at the
Paddington Railway Station, and it was well for John that her friends
and his had been so discreet.

"Oh, of course you are her champion," said Mary. "And I didn't mean
to say anything unkind. Indeed I didn't. Of course it was a
misfortune."

"I think it was the best piece of good fortune that could have
happened to her, not to marry a d---- scoundrel like--"

"Oh, John!" exclaimed Mrs Eames.

"I beg your pardon, mother. But it isn't swearing to call such a
man as that a d---- scoundrel." And he particularly emphasised the
naughty word, thinking that thereby he would add to its import, and
take away from its naughtiness. "But we won't talk any more about
him. I hate the man's very name. I hated him the first moment that I
saw him, and knew that he was a blackguard from his look. And I don't
believe a word about the squire having been cross to them. Indeed I
know he has been the reverse of cross. So Bell is going to marry Dr
Crofts!"

"There is no doubt on earth about that," said Mary. "And they say
that Bernard Dale is going abroad with his regiment."

Then John discussed with his mother his duties as private secretary,
and his intention of leaving Mrs Roper's house. "I suppose it isn't
nice enough for you now, John," said his mother.

"It never was very nice, mother, to tell you the truth. There were
people there-- But you mustn't think I am turning up my nose because
I'm getting grand. I don't want to live any better than we all lived
at Mrs Roper's; but she took in persons that were not agreeable.
There is a Mr and Mrs Lupex there." Then he described something of
their life in Burton Crescent, but did not say much about Amelia
Roper. Amelia Roper had not made her appearance in Guestwick, as he
had once