ever," she
said. "I see you are one that women cannot deceive."

Montjoie laughed, too, with gratified vanity and superior knowledge.
"You are about right there," he said. "I am not to be taken in, don't
you know. It's no good trying it on with me. I see through ladies'
little pretences. If there were no men you would not care what guys you
were; and no more do we."

Bice made no reply. She turned upon him that dazzling smile of which she
had learned the secret from the Contessa, which was unfathomable to the
observer but quite simple to the simple-minded; and then she said: "Do
you amuse yourself very much in the evening? I used to hear the voices
and think how pleasant it would have been to be there."

"Not so pleasant as you think," said the young man. "The only fun was
the Contessa's, don't you know. She's a fine woman for her age, but
she's---- Goodness! I forgot. She's your----"

"She is _passee_," said the girl calmly. "You make me afraid, Lord
Montjoie. How much of a critic you are, and see through women, through
and through." At this the noble Marquis laughed with true enjoyment of
his own gifts.

"But you ain't offended?" he said. "There was no harm meant. Even a lady
can't, don't you know, be always the same age."

"Don't you think so?" said Bice. "Oh, I think you are wrong. The
Contessa is of no age. She is the age she pleases--she has all the
secrets. I see nobody more beautiful."

"That may be," said Montjoie; "but you can't see everybody, don't you
know. She's very handsome and all that--and when the real thing isn't
there--but when it is, don't you know----"

"English is very perplexing," said Bice, shaking her head, but with a
smile in her eyes which somewhat belied her air of simplicity. "What may
that be--the real thing? Shall I find it in the dictionary?" she asked;
and then their eyes met and there was another burst of laughter,
somewhat boisterous on his part, but on hers with a ring of
lightheartedness which quenched the malice. She was so young that she
had a pleasure in playing her _role_, and did not feel any immorality
involved.

While this conversation was going on, which was much observed and
commented on by all the company, Jock from one end of the table and Mr.
Derwentwater from the other, looked on with an eager observation and
breathless desire to make out what was being said which gave an
expression of anxiety to the features of MTutor, and one of almost
ferocity to the lowe