"That's all, I think," he continued, "except--I suppose you'll have no trouble in getting the money?" Darcy laughed. "Give me twenty-four hours," he said. The Secretary nodded. "Well, I must be going," remarked the Colonel regretfully, as if he was just bringing to a close a protracted, but delightful, interview. "You've paid a high price for rather indifferent goods, young man, and to show you that I'm dealing fair, I'll throw in a bit of advice. Drop our Irish friend as soon as you know how. Take my word for it, she's a thoroughly bad lot. I don't care what you're worth, she'd run through it in five years, and then----" "Don't say it!" commanded the Secretary. "As you like, it's the truth. The money will be in the Victoria Street Branch of the Bank of England till day after to-morrow? Yes. Thank you, Mr. Stanley. Trust you're satisfied. I am. Good day." The door closed. He was gone. CHAPTER XXXVII THE PRICE OF KNOWLEDGE "I can never thank you sufficiently for all you've done, old man," said Stanley to Kent-Lauriston, as the latter stood beside him, a few moments later. "Which means," said his friend, "that you are going to ask me to do you another favour." "How well you understand human nature," replied the Secretary, smiling sadly. "Yes, it's quite true; I want you to go to--_her_--you understand, for me. I meant to go myself, but after what Darcy has told me, it's impossible." "It's infinitely better to leave the affair in my hands. It will be easier for both of you." "I'm sure of it. You once said to me, you may remember, that it required more skill to break than to make an engagement, and I'm certain that you'd do this with great tact, and that I should blunder. You'll make it as easy for her as you can, I know--perhaps she'll save you any awkwardness by breaking it off herself. From what she said yesterday, I should think it possible." "I trust so." "Here are her letters to me--you'll take them back." "I will. Do you feel sure of yourself?" "You need have no fears on that account. I think Madame Darcy was right when she told me once that she was certain that I'd never loved." "What reason did she give for that statement?" "Reason--that's just it, she said I'd reasoned about my love, therefore it couldn't be real." "Madame Darcy is a very clever woman." "And a very charming one." "I fully agree with you, but of course she has her drawbacks." "You think so?" "Her present position is, to say the least, equivocal; and as a divorcée----" "Oh, come, Kent-Lauriston, can't you let anyone alone? I never think of those things in connection with her. She's just Madame Darcy--that's all. She forms her own environment; one is so completely dominated by her presence, that other circumstances connected with her don't occur to one." "In other words, you do not reason." "Kent-Lauriston!"