“Kissing each other on the open turnpike before six pleasure vans,” continued Lady M’Adam. “Oh! the unutterable wickedness of the unregenerate human heart!” “But, my dear friends,” said Lady Lavinia, glad at last to be able to edge in a word, “whom have you caught? whom have you seen? ah! ah! hugging, and what did you say?--not kissing? no, I really trust _not_ kissing, for that sounds shockingly immoral? Really you make my blood run cold!”--and the shoulders quivered like the undulations of the earthquake at Chios. “Come, Lady Lavinia, you know as well as I do,” said Lady M’Adam, angrily. “Surely you can guess,” said Miss Scheimes, “now that your own suspicions are fulfilled! Oh! you dear prophetic soul!” “Ah, now I have it,” cried Lady Lavinia (who had known all the while), in accents of amazement; “it _must_ have been Miss Manwaring. Oh! how very, very dreadful!” But it is needless to follow the conversation of these amiable and Christian ladies. Suffice it to say, that the Vehme-Gericht resolved that no quarter should be given to the offender; and Lady Lavinia, as the member of the Court who knew the Duchess best, was deputed to inform Her Grace of the signal mistake she had made, and of the misconduct of her _protégée_. Lady Lavinia accordingly penned an epistle, which, being duly approved, received the _imprimatur_ of the Court; and, this missive being despatched, the three ladies separated, each member retiring in excellent spirits to her apartments to prepare for dinner. CHAPTER XXIII. WILFRED SMITH GOES TO THE JEWS. THE lost Wilfred having been found, it seems proper to take this opportunity of informing the reader of the events which followed his banishment from home.