way. On this occasion, however, she
exerted herself to a most unusual extent during their drive to captivate
and charm Lady Randolph; and as Lucy was very simple and accessible to
everything that seemed kindness, and the Contessa very clever and with
full command of her powers, it is not wonderful that her success was
easy. She led her to talk of Mr. Churchill, who had been kept to dinner
on the previous night, and to whom Sir Tom had been very polite, and
Lucy anxiously kind, doing all that was possible to put the good man at
his ease, though with but indifferent success. For the thought of such
an obligation was too great to be easily borne, and the agitation of his
mind was scarcely settled, even by the commonplaces of the dinner, and
the devotion which young Lady Randolph showed him. Perhaps the grave
politeness of Sir Tom, which was not very encouraging, and the curiosity
of the great lady, whom he had mistaken for his benefactress,
counterbalanced Mr. Churchill's satisfaction, for he did not regain his
confidence, and it was evidently with great relief of mind that he got
up from his seat when the carriage was announced to take him away. The
Contessa had given her attention to all he said and did, with a most
lively and even anxious interest, and it was from this that she had
mastered so many details which Bice had reluctantly confirmed by her
report of the information she had derived from Jock. It was not long
before Madame di Forno-Populo managed to extract everything from Lucy.
Lady Randolph was not used to defend herself against such inquiries, nor
was there any reason why she should do so. She was glad indeed when she
saw how sweetly her companion looked, and how kind were her tones, to
talk over her own difficult position with another woman, one who was
interested, and who did not express her disapproval and horror as most
people did. The Contessa, on the contrary, took a great deal of
interest. She was astonished, indeed, but she did not represent to Lucy
that what she had to do was impossible or even vicious, as most people
seemed to suppose. She listened with the gravest attention; and she gave
a soothing sense of sympathy to Lucy's troubled soul. She was so little
prepared for sympathy from such a quarter that the unexpectedness of it
made it more soothing still.

"This is a great charge to be laid upon you," the Contessa said, with
the most kind look. "Upon you so young and with so little experience.
Y