t she had seen early in the day that he was the one
most in fault. "I must say, my dear," she said, "that I very greatly
dislike your friend, Colonel Osborne."

"I am sure that he meant not the slightest harm,--no more than she
did."

"He was old enough, and ought to have known better. And when the
first hint of an uneasiness in the mind of Louis was suggested to
him, his feelings as a gentleman should have prompted him to remove
himself. Let the suspicion have been ever so absurd, he should
have removed himself. Instead of that, he went after her,--into
Devonshire."

"He went to see other friends, Lady Milborough."

"I hope it may have been so;--I hope it may have been so. But he
should have cut off his hand before he rang at the door of the house
in which she was living. You will understand, my dear, that I acquit
your sister altogether. I did so all through, and said the same to
poor Louis when he came to me. But Colonel Osborne should have known
better. Why did he write to her? Why did he go to St. Diddulph's? Why
did he let it be thought that,--that she was especially his friend.
Oh dear; oh dear; oh dear! I am afraid he is a very bad man."

"We had known him so long, Lady Milborough."

"I wish you had never known him at all. Poor Louis! If he had only
done what I told him at first, all might have been well. 'Go to
Naples, with your wife,' I said. 'Go to Naples.' If he had gone to
Naples, there would have been no journeys to Siena, no living at
Casalunga, no separation. But he didn't seem to see it in the same
light. Poor dear Louis. I wish he had gone to Naples when I told
him."

While they were going backwards and forwards, looking at the cottage
at Twickenham and trying to make things comfortable there for the
sick man, Lady Milborough hinted to Nora that it might be distasteful
to Trevelyan, in his present condition, to have even a sister-in-law
staying in the house with him. There was a little chamber which Nora
had appropriated to herself, and at first it seemed to be taken
for granted that she should remain there at least till the 10th of
August, on which day Lady Peterborough had signified that she and her
husband would be ready to receive their visitor. But Lady Milborough
slept on the suggestion, and on the next morning hinted her
disapprobation. "You shall take them down in the carriage, and their
luggage can follow in a cab;--but the carriage can bring you back.
You will see how things are the