If Tom Randolph was beginning to find out that he had been a
fool it was wonderful he had not made the discovery sooner. For he had
been a fool, and no mistake! To bring that woman to England, to keep her
in his house, to associate her in men's minds with his wife--the worst of
his present guests found it most difficult to forgive him. But they were
all the more interested in the situation from the fact that Sir Tom was
beginning to feel the effects of his folly. He said very little during
that meal. He took no notice of the badinage going on between the Contessa
and her train. When he spoke at all it was to that virtuous mother at his
other hand, who was not at all amusing, and talked of nothing but Edith
and Minnie, and her successful treatment of them through all the nursery
troubles of their life.

Lucy, at the other end of the table, was scarcely more expansive. She
had been relieved by the absence of Bice, which, in her innocence, she
believed to be a concession to her own anxiety, feeling a certain
gratitude to the Contessa for thus foregoing the chance of another
interview with Montjoie. It could never have occurred to Lucy to suppose
that this was policy on the Contessa's part, and that her refusal to
satisfy Montjoie was in reality planned to strengthen her hold on him,
and to increase the curiosity she pretended to baffle. Lucy had no such
artificial idea in her mind. She accepted the girl's withdrawal as a
tribute to her own powers of persuasion, and a proof that though the
Contessa had been led astray by her foreign notions, she was yet ready
to perceive and adopt the more excellent way. This touched Lucy's heart
and made her feel that she was herself bound to reciprocate the
generosity. They had done it without knowing anything about the
intention in her mind, and it should be hers to carry out that intention
liberally, generously, not like an unwilling giver. She cast many a
glance at her husband while this was going through her mind. Would he
object as before? or would he, because it was the Contessa who was to be
benefited, make no objection? Lucy did not know which of the two it
would be most painful to her to bear. She had read carefully the
paragraph in her father's will about foreigners, and had found there was
no distinct objection to foreigners, only a preference the other way.
She knew indeed, but would not permit herself to think, that these were
not persons who would have commended themselves to