rtain grain of sagacity that might have
been useful to him. Have you heard about this Italian lady?"

"Only that she is an Italian lady."

"He is about my age. If I remember rightly there is hardly a month or
two between us. She is three or four years older."

"You knew her then?"

"I knew of her. I have been curious enough to enquire, which is, I dare
say, more than any body has done at Manor Cross."

"And is she so old?"

"And a widow. They have been married, you know, over twelve months;
nearly two years, I believe."

"Surely not; we heard of it only since our own marriage."

"Exactly; but the Marquis was always fond of a little mystery. It was
the news of your marriage that made him hint at the possibility of such
a thing; and he did not tell the fact till he had made up his mind to
come home. I do not know that he has told all now."

"What else is there?"

"She has a baby,--a boy." Mary felt that the colour flew to her cheeks;
but she knew that it did so, not from any disappointment of her own,
not because these tidings were in truth a blow to her, but because
others,--this lady, for instance,--would think that she suffered. "I am
afraid it is so," said Miss Houghton.

"She may have twenty, for what I care," said Mary, recovering herself.

"I think Lord George ought to know."

"Of course I shall tell him what you told me. I am sorry that he is not
nice, that's all. I should have liked a brother-in-law that I could
have loved. And I wish he had married an English woman. I think English
women are best for English men."

"I think so too. I am afraid you will none of you like the lady. She
cannot speak a word of English. Of course you will use my name in
telling Lord George. I heard it all from a friend of mine who is
married to one of the Secretaries at the Embassy." Then the gentlemen
came in, and Mary began to be in a hurry to get away that she might
tell this news to her husband.

In the meantime Guss Mildmay made her complaints, deep but not loud.
She and Mrs. Houghton had been very intimate as girls, knew each
other's secrets, and understood each other's characters. "Why did you
have him to such a party as this?" said Guss.

"I told you he was coming."

"But you didn't tell me about that young woman. You put him next to her
on purpose to annoy me."

"That's nonsense. You know as well as I do that nothing can come of it.
You must drop it, and you'd better do it at once. You don't want to be