"There is no need to find out anything about Mrs. Cadwallader," she said. "If Penelope wasn’t too dangerously innocent to be single, she would not have anything to do with her." "I’m sure the poor woman was only silly," said Bradstock. "Haven’t we all been silly in our time, Titania? Didn’t I marry twice? And you married once." "I’ll speak to her," said the duchess, hastily. "If we can only find out who it is, we can, I’m sure, prevent her doing as she says and making a secret marriage of it. The scandal would be horrid. Oh, Augustin, suppose she did it, and had a large family suddenly. I should die of it." "Good heavens," said Bradstock, "you alarm me, Titania, you are so gloomy. She would surely acknowledge her marriage then?" Titania threw up her hands. "Augustin, I’m sure of nothing with Penelope. I cannot answer for her. She will bring my gray hairs with sorrow—" "To cremation," said Bradstock. "She has invested money in a crematorium." "I thought it was dairy-farming," cried Titania. "Oh, but think, Augustin, of the horror of the situation as it might be! What would her Royal Highness say to me? Imagine her marrying and keeping it dark, and having, as I say, a large family suddenly without a husband producible on the moment to answer natural inquiries! Imagine her saying _then_ that her marriage was her own business, and her certificate of marriage firmly withheld by a young and obstinate mother in a safe! She has a safe. She has a safe, Augustin, with many keys. I wish I could get at it, and find things out that are in it. I wish I knew a burglar, a good honest and reliable burglar, married and trustworthy, that I could send in to break it open. Most girls have a desk with an ordinary key, easy to open, but Penelope has a Lord Milner’s safe with patent things to keep it shut. It’s not natural, it’s wicked. Oh, I did hope, when I found out what the duke was like and what his ways were, that I knew the extent of my troubles, but there is no end to them, and Penelope begins where Goring leaves off." "Is it as bad as that?" asked Bradstock. "And then there’s Bob—" "By Jove," said Augustin, "I believe Bob’s the key to the safe! Titania, he’s more likely to find something out than any one." Titania nodded solemnly. "Augustin, you are right. I’ll speak to Bob." "Let me do it." "No, no, Augustin. He is very quick and suspicious, and he loves her, he adores her. This requires a feminine intelligence. I will work upon him quietly." And she went away to work upon Bob quietly. *CHAPTER VIII.*