ve me!" Wretched viper;
ill-conditioned traitor! Could it be that he, her husband, loved this
woman better than her? Did not all the world know that the woman was
plain and affected, and vulgar, and odious? "Dearest George!" The woman
could not have used such language without his sanction. Oh;--what
should she do? Would it not be necessary that she should go back and
live with her father? Then she thought of Jack De Baron. They called
Jack De Baron wild; but he would not have been guilty of wickedness
such as this. She clung, however, to the resolution of putting the
letter ready for her husband, so that he should know that she had read
it before they met.

In the meantime Lord George, ignorant as yet of the storm which was
brewing at home, was shown into his brother's sitting-room. When he
entered he found there, with his brother, a lady whom he could
recognise without difficulty as his sister-in-law. She was a tall, dark
woman, as he thought very plain, but with large bright eyes and very
black hair. She was ill-dressed, in a morning wrapper, and looked to
him to be at least as old as her husband. The Marquis said something to
her in Italian which served as an introduction, but of which Lord
George could not understand a word. She curtseyed and Lord George put
out his hand. "It is perhaps as well that you should make her
acquaintance," said the Marquis. Then he again spoke in Italian, and
after a minute or two the lady withdrew. It occurred to Lord George
afterwards that the interview had certainly been arranged. Had his
brother not wished him to see the lady, the lady could have been kept
in the background here as well as at Manor Cross. "It's uncommon civil
of you to come," said the Marquis as soon as the door was closed. "What
can I do for you?"

"I did not like that you should be in London without my seeing you."

"I daresay not. I daresay not. I was very much obliged to you, you
know, for sending that lawyer down to me."

"I did not send him."

"And particularly obliged to you for introducing that other lawyer into
our family affairs."

"I would have done nothing of the kind if I could have helped it. If
you will believe me, Brotherton, my only object is to have all this so
firmly settled that there may not be need of further enquiry at a
future time."

"When I am dead?"

"When we may both be dead."

"You have ten years advantage of me. Your own chance isn't bad."

"If you will believe me----"

"B