er women. Will Mrs. Jones succeed with that stupid
young man?"

"With Giblet? I hope so. It can't make any difference to him whether
it's this one or another, and I do like Mrs. Jones."

"Would they let me have just a little lecture in the dining-room?"
asked the Baroness of her friend, Aunt Ju. There had been certain
changes among the Disabilities up in London. Lady Selina Protest had
taken Dr. Olivia Q. Fleabody altogether by the hand, and had appointed
her chief professor at the Institute, perhaps without sufficient
authority. Aunt Ju had been cast into the shade, and had consequently
been driven to throw herself into the arms of the Baroness. At present
there was a terrible feud in which Aunt Ju was being much worsted. For
the Baroness was an old Man of the Sea, and having got herself on to
Aunt Ju's shoulders could not be shaken off. In the meantime Dr.
Fleabody was filling the Institute, reaping a golden harvest, and
breaking the heart of the poor Baroness, who had fallen into much
trouble and was now altogether penniless.

"I'm afraid not," said Aunt Ju. "I'm afraid we can't do that."

"Perhaps de Marquis would like it?"

"I hardly think so."

"He did say a word to me, and I tink he would like it. He vant to
understand."

"My dear Baroness, I'm sure the Marquis of Brotherton does not care
about it in the least. He is quite in the dark on such subjects--quite
benighted." What was the use, thought the Baroness, of bringing her
down to a house in which people were so benighted that she could not be
allowed to open her mouth or carry on her profession. Had she not been
enticed over from her own country in order that she might open her
mouth, and preach her doctrine, and become a great and a wealthy woman?
There was a fraud in this enforced silence which cut her to the very
quick. "I tink I shall try," she said, separating herself in her wrath
from her friend.

CHAPTER LI.

GUSS MILDMAY'S SUCCESS.

The treatment which the Marquis received at Rudham did not certainly
imply any feeling that he had disgraced himself by what he had done
either at Manor Cross or up in London. Perhaps the ladies there did not
know as much of his habits as did Mrs. Walker at Scumberg's. Perhaps
the feeling was strong that Popenjoy was Popenjoy, and that therefore
the Marquis had been injured. If a child be born in British
purple,--true purple, though it may have been stained by
circumstances,--that purple is very sacred