Robert Darnley could not believe his own senses. The language which he now heard from Zephaniah Pringle seemed to allude plainly enough to Penelope, but it could not be possible, he thought, that a young lady of such high and pure spirit as Miss Primrose could ever submit to an arrangement so truly humiliating. Suppressing and concealing his agitation as well as he could, he endeavoured to ascertain from the man of letters what was really the fact concerning Lord Spoonbill and this, as yet unnamed, young lady. "Surely, Mr Pringle, you do not mean to say that Lord Spoonbill has a lady in keeping, whom he introduces to his father's table? This is really beyond all credence." "But indeed, sir, I do mean it," replied Zephaniah the critic: "and, if you have never heard the story, I can tell you all the particulars." "It is no business of mine," said Darnley, "but I do feel curious to know the particulars of so very singular a case, as a young man bringing a kept lady to his father's own table." "It is not altogether so," replied Mr Pringle; "but I will tell you exactly how the case stands; I know Spoonbill very intimately." This last expression was uttered as everybody would naturally suppose such an expression would be uttered by such a man. After thoroughly enjoying the high and refined satisfaction of having said, "I know Spoonbill very intimately," the loyal and religious critic proceeded: "You must remember old Greendale, the rector of Smatterton, who was my cousin's predecessor in the living. He died a very short time before you returned from India. This old man had a very pretty niece, you know; you must remember her, for I understand that she lived with old Dr Greendale from her infancy." "Oh, certainly," said Darnley, with much effort concealing the agitation which he felt; "I remember her very well, her name is Primrose; but you surely do not mean to say that Miss Primrose is living under the protection of Lord Spoonbill?" Hereupon Mr Pringle did somewhat hesitate and say, "Why, why--I cannot exactly say that--that she is absolutely living under his protection. She is rather living under the protection of Lady Smatterton as yet. You perhaps may not know that Miss Primrose has a remarkably fine voice, and is in fact a first-rate vocalist: now Lady Smatterton is a great patroness of musical talent, and has taken a fancy to bring Miss Primrose out this season as a public singer, and Lord Spoonbill has made proposals, which I believe have been accepted by the lady; and she is to be under his lordship's protection as soon as she leaves Lord Smatterton's house, and that will be very soon. That is the true state of the case. I wonder you have never heard of it before; for though you have been from India a very short time, yet in country places intelligence flies very rapidly."