“Yes, dear Lady M’Adam, you are right, as you always are; depend upon it, she had seen that man before,” pursued Miss Scheimes, judicially; “he is probably some old rustic lover. What was it she cried out too? ‘Will!’ and what is the name of the soldier-man? Why, Wilfred, to be sure! And pray, how did she know _that_? She must have known the man before, of course. But now for a proof positive. No sooner did the young woman blurt out his name before everyone in that brazen-faced and unseemly manner, than I distinctly saw the soldier-man himself turn pale--turn pale, and tremble like a leaf! What do you think of that? ‘Nervousness before the Queen,’ folks said; I know better. That’s all a pack of stuff and nonsense. It was conscience, that’s what it was! And now tell me, what do you think of that?” “It is a wonderful chain of thingummy,” answered Lady Lavinia, drawing down her shoulders almost out of sight; “a wonderful chain of consumptive evidence--no, not consumptive either, that’s Ventnor and Madeira, and the River Era; but you know what I mean. But what a head you have, my dearest Helen; and how dreadful are the revelations you have made!” “It’s an awful and instructive instance of human depravity, that’s what it is,” said Lady M’Adam; “but it’s providential that the mask is torn betimes from the face of that young Jezebel, and that we at last see her in the unregenerate nakedness of an unconverted heart. But what are we to _do_? that’s the question. I suppose it is our bounden duty to tell the poor deluded Duchess of her mistake.” “Well, no,” said Lady Lavinia, after a pause; “with all due deference, dearest Lady M’Adam, to your greatly superior age and experience----” “Not such a _great_ difference, Lady Lavinia, as you seem to suppose,” interrupted Lady M’Adam, snappishly. “I’m sure I beg your pardon,” answered Lady Lavinia; “I was only going to say, that knowing the poor dear Duchess’s idiosyncrasies, and prejudices, and crazes, as we do, I think we had better wait----” “And watch,” interrupted Miss Scheimes. “Thank you, dearest Helen,” continued Lady Lavinia; “and watch--yes, watch and wait. Sir Thomas Clarion was saying only the other day that the Fortieth are likely to be moved here; then we shall perhaps see more, and be more in a position to move with effect. I shall tell Papfaddle--such a faithful creature!--to be on the look-out for the first soldier that goes up to Miss Manwaring’s apartments, and if I learn anything, you may depend on hearing from me. Now I must run away and dress for dinner.” Lady Lavinia’s prudent counsels prevailed, and forthwith the Vehme-Gericht was dissolved.