"I think I may be driven to do so. I do not wish to have to write to her, and yet I must make her understand that all this is to be over." "She'll understand that fast enough when she does not see you. It would have served her right to have sent that letter to her husband." "That would have been cruel, Mary." "I didn't do it. I thought of doing it, and wouldn't do it. But it would have served her right. I suppose she was always writing." "She had written, but not quite like that," said Lord George. He was not altogether comfortable during this conversation. "She writes lots of such letters no doubt. You do then mean to go there again?" "I think so. Of course I do not look upon her as being so utterly a castaway as you do." "I believe her to be a heartless, vile, intriguing woman, who married an old man without caring a straw for him, and who doesn't care how miserable she makes other people. And I think she is very--very ugly. She paints frightfully. Anybody can see it. And as for false hair,--why, it's nearly all false." Lady George certainly did not paint, and had not a shred of false hair about her. "Oh, George, if you do go, do be firm! You will be firm;--will you not?" "I shall go simply that this annoyance may be at an end." "Of course you will tell her that I will never speak to her again. How could I? You would not wish it;--would you?" In answer to this there was nothing for him to say. He would have wished that a certain amount of half friendly intercourse should be carried on; but he could not ask her to do this. After a time he might perhaps be able to press on her the advantage of avoiding a scandal, but as yet he could not do even that. He had achieved more than he had a right to expect in obtaining her permission to call once more in Berkeley Square himself. After that they would soon be going down to Brotherton, and when they were there things might be allowed to settle themselves. Then she asked him another question. "You don't object to my going to Mrs. Jones' party on Thursday?" The question was very sudden, so that he was almost startled. "It is a dance, I suppose." "Oh yes, a dance of course." "No;--I have no objection."