e Houghton with her husband." Mary turned up her nose and
made a grimace as the Houghtons were named. "You used to be very fond
of Adelaide."

"Very fond is a long word. We were by way of being friends; but we are
friends no longer."

"Tell me what she did to offend you, Lady George? I know there was
something."

"You are her cousin. Of course I am not going to abuse her to you."

"She's not half so much my cousin as you are my friend,--if I may say
so. What did she do or what did she say?"

"She painted her face."

"If you're going to quarrel, Lady George, with every woman in London
who does that, you'll have a great many enemies."

"And the hair at the back of her head got bigger and bigger every
month. Papa always quotes something about Dr. Fell when he's asked why
he does not like anybody. She's Dr. Fell to me."

"I don't think she quite knows why you've cut her."

"I'm quite sure she does, Captain De Baron. She knows all about it. And
now, if you please, we won't talk of her any more. Who else was there
at Rudham?"

"All the old set. Aunt Ju and Guss."

"Then you were happy."

"Quite so. I believe that no one knows all about that better than you
do."

"You ought to have been happy."

"Lady George, I thought you always told the truth."

"I try to; and I think you ought to have been happy. You don't mean to
tell me that Miss Mildmay is nothing to you?"

"She is a very old friend."

"Ought she not to be more? Though of course I have no right to ask."

"You have a right if any one has. I haven't a friend in the world I
would trust as I would you. No; she ought not to be more."

"Have you never given her a right to think that she would be more?"

He paused a moment or two before he answered. Much as he wished to
trust her, anxious as he was that she should be his real friend he
could hardly bring himself to tell her all that had taken place at
Rudham Park during the last day or two. Up to that time he never had
given Miss Mildmay any right. So, at least, he still assured himself.
But now,--it certainly was different now. He desired of all things to
be perfectly honest with Lady George,--to be even innocent in all that
he said to her; but--just for this once--he was obliged to deviate into
a lie. "Never!" he said.

"Of course it is not for me to enquire further."

"It is very hard to describe the way in which such an intimacy has come
about. Guss Mildmay and I have been very much thrown toget