'Never thought? Why, where were you brought up? Never thought? Good gracious! what do young ladies go into society for?' 'I am not a young lady of society, I am afraid.' 'Well--but--what was your companion about, to allow---- Oh!'--Lady Frances nodded her head--'oh! now I understand. Now one can understand why he got her placed here. Now one understands her business. My dear, you have been placed in a very dangerous position--most dangerous. Your guardians or lawyers are very much to blame. And you really never suspected anything?' 'How should I suspect? I was always told that Mr. Feilding was not the man to begin that kind of thing.' 'Were you? Your companion told you that, I suppose?' 'Oh! I suppose so. There seems a horrid network of deception all about me, Lady Frances.' Armorel rose, and her visitor followed her example. 'You have put a secret into my hands. I shall respect it. Henceforth, I desire but one more interview with this man. Oh! he is all lies--through and through. There is no part of him that is true.' 'Nonsense, my dear; you take things too seriously. We all have our little reservations, and some deceptions are necessary. When you get to my age you will understand. Why won't you marry the man? He is young: his manners are pretty good: he is a man of the world: he is really clever: he is quite sure to get on, particularly if his wife help him. He means to get on. He is the kind of man to get on. You see he is clever enough to take the credit of other people's work: to make others work for you is the first rule in the art of getting on. Oh! he will do. I shall live to see him made a baronet, and in the next generation his son will marry money, and go up into the Lords. That is the way. My dear, you had better take him. You will never get a more promising offer. You seem to me rather an unworldly kind of girl. You should really take advice of those who know the world.' 'I could never--never--marry Mr. Feilding. 'Wealth, position, society, rank, consideration--these are the only things in life worth having, and you are going to throw them away! My dear, is there actually nothing between you at all? Was it all a fib?' 'Actually nothing at all, except that he offered himself to me this very morning, and he received an answer which was, I hope, plain enough.' 'Ah! now I see.' Lady Frances laughed. 'Now I understand, my dear, the vanity of the man! The creature, when he told me that fib, thought it was the truth because he had made up his mind to ask you, and, of course, he concluded that no one could say "No" to him. Now I understand. You need not fall into a rage about it, my dear. It was only his vanity. Poor dear Alec! Well, he'll get another pretty girl, I dare say; but, my dear, I doubt whether---- Rising men are scarce, you know. Good-bye, child! Keep that little secret, and don't bear malice. The vanity--the vanity of the men! Wonderful! wonderful!' * * * * *