"Do you really consider yourself a nonentity, Miss Vancourt? I am sure the society you have left behind you in London does not think you so." She opened her sea-blue eyes full upon him. "Society? Why do you speak of it? Its opinion of me or of anyone else, is surely the last thing a sensible man. or woman would care for, I imagine! One 'season' of it was enough for me. I have unfortunately had several 'seasons,' and they were all too many." Again Walden looked at her, but this time she did not seem to be aware of his scrutiny. "Do you take me for a member of the 'smart' set, Mr. Walden?" she queried, gaily--"You are very much mistaken if you do! I have certainly mixed with it, and know all about it--much to my regret-- but I don't belong to it. Of course I like plenty of life and amusement, but 'society' as London and Paris and New York express it in their modes and manners and 'functions,' is to me the dullest form of entertainment in the world." Walden was silent. She gave him a quick side-glance of enquiry. "I suppose you have been told something about me?" she said-- "Something which represents me otherwise than as I represent myself. Have you?" At this abrupt question John fairly started out of his semi- abstraction in good earnest. "My dear Miss Vancourt!" he exclaimed, warmly--"How can you think of such a thing! I have never heard a word about you, except from good old Mrs. Spruce who knew you as a child, and who loves to recall these days,--and--er--and---" He broke off, checking himself with a vexed gesture. "And--er--and--er--who else?" said Maryllia, smiling---"Now don't play tricks with ME, or I'll play tricks with YOU!" His eyes caught and reflected her smile. "Well,--Sir Morton Pippitt spoke of you once in my hearing"--he said--"And a friend of his whom he brought to see the church, the Duke of Lumpton. Also a clergyman in this neighbourhood, a Mr. Leveson--rector at Badsworth--HE mentioned you, and presumed"--here John paused a moment,--"yes, I think I may say presumed--to know yon personally." "Did he really! I never heard of him!" And she laughed merrily. "Mr. Walden, if I were to tell you the number of people who profess to know ME whom _I_ do not know and never WILL know, you would be surprised! I never spoke to Sir Morton Pippitt in my life till the other day, though he pretends he has met me,-but he hasn't. He may have seen me perhaps by chance when I was a child in the nursery, but I don't remember anything about him. My father never visited any of the people here,--we lived very much to ourselves. As for the Duke of Lumpton,--well!--nobody knows him that can possibly avoid it--and I have never even so much as seen him. Aunt Emily may possibly have spoken of me in these persons' hearing--that's quite likely,--but they know nothing of me at first hand." She paused a moment, "Look at Cicely!" she said--"How quickly she makes friends! She and Mr. Adderley are chattering away like two magpies!"