“These are some of my friends, Jack,” says she--“or were, till a moment ago. You don’t ask me what I’ve been doing since we quarrelled and parted. Well, they’ll tell you, if you are curious, only don’t you believe all they say.” And then she addressed the company: “My lord--hem!--ladies and gentlemen. I’ve found, though quite unexpected, the husband I came to London to seek, not the one I meant but an old one I had thought used up. Never mind for that; and I daresay both my lady and me know what it is to wear a turned gown; but the point is that, if you ever doubted of my respectability--and some of you may; not all, perhaps, recognizing the thing when they see it--here’s the proof of it to answer you, and so shall remain, until we quarrel again and go our ways as before.” “No, no!” said the radiant creature, with a patient smile. “No, no!” croaked Hamilton, with a laugh. “To spite _you_,” cried Moll, blazing on him, “I’d live with him for ever--at least, for part of it!” “Poor man! what a vengeance!” said her ladyship, and turned with cold disdain on the mocker (she still held her husband’s arm). “I trust you appreciate your punishment, cousin,” she said, “and will submit to it without resorting to the bad counsel of jealousy.” And so she faced the lady. “I congratulate you, Mrs. Davis, on your--your proof. We had not learned, I confess, to associate you with angels in any form, and the very opportune arrival of this one--whether in the conspiracy or not--must serve you, I suppose, for a means to escape the chastisement you have so richly deserved at our hands. Under what circumstances and at whose instigation you were moved to venture on this audacity it is idle to inquire--we should never extract the truth. Nor, the air being cleared of you, need we now wish to. When one has thrown off a sickness, one likes to dismiss its unpleasantness from one’s thoughts. Your boxes, with their green bows, and vulgarities, and thrice-turned gowns, and whatever other stage ‘properties’ or ‘perquisites’ they may contain, shall be sent to your direction. Come, my lord”--and she turned very stately, and, entering the track with her husband, disappeared along it. “There’s gratitude!” cried Moll; and, positively snivelling, threw herself upon Sad Jack’s sober bosom. Hamilton, looking on, with a grin wrinkling his nose, shrugged his shoulders, began to whistle, and sauntered off in another direction. My lord and lady, in the meantime, walked like reconciled lovers. “Do you know,” she said, with an arch smile, “that ’twas you first broke the silence between us?” “No, no,” said he, stopping. “Ah! but it was.” “It was not, I say.” “And I say it was.” They had edged apart. For the moment it seemed as if it was all to begin over again. “Curse it!” muttered my lord. “Why, do not you remember,” said she, rallying to sweetness, “that you declared you knew me?” He bit his lip, scowled, and brightened.