rty."

"I know nothing at all about it."

"My cousin was up in town yesterday with the Houghtons. Good-bye, Lady
George; I shan't be at Lady Brabazon's, because she has forgotten to
invite me, but I suppose I shall see you at Mrs. Montacute Jones'?"

"I shall certainly be at Mrs. Montacute Jones'," said Mary, trying to
speak cheerfully.

The bell was rang and the door was closed, and then the husband and
wife were together. "A dreadful communication has just been made to
me," said Lord George in his most solemn and funereal voice;--"a most
dreadful communication!"

CHAPTER XXXIV.

A DREADFUL COMMUNICATION.

"A most dreadful communication!" There was something in Lord George's
voice as he uttered these words which so frightened his wife that she
became at the moment quite pale. She was sure, almost sure from his
countenance that the dreadful communication had some reference to
herself. Had any great calamity happened in regard to his own family he
would not have looked at her as he was now looking. And yet she could
not imagine what might be the nature of the communication. "Has
anything happened at Manor Cross?" she asked.

"It is not about Manor Cross."

"Or your brother?"

"It is not about my brother; it does not in any way concern my family.
It is about you."

"About me! Oh, George! do not look at me like that. What is it?"

He was very slow in the telling of the story; slow even in beginning to
tell it; indeed, he hardly knew how to begin. "You know Miss Augusta
Mildmay?" he asked.

Then she understood it all. She might have told him that he could spare
himself all further trouble in telling, only that to do so would hardly
have suited her purpose; therefore she had to listen to the story, very
slowly told. Miss Augusta Mildmay had written to him begging him to
come to her. He, very much astonished at such a request, had
nevertheless obeyed it; and Augusta Mildmay had assured him that his
wife, by wicked wiles and lures, was interfering between her and her
affianced lover Captain De Baron. Mary sat patiently till she had heard
it all,--sat almost without speaking a word; but there was a stern look
on her face which he had never seen there before. Still he went on with
his determined purpose. "These are the kind of things which are being
repeated of you," he said at last. "Susanna made the same complaint.
And it had reached Brotherton's ears. He spoke to me of it in
frightfully strong langua