"That was because she was innocent," said Lord Dollamore; "there must have been eligible persons, even among her Roundhead friends; how very much better to have consoled herself with--" "As usual, you miss the point of the story, Lord Dollamore," said Alsager, hotly interrupting; "surely it would have been better to have been the murdered than the murderess in such a case." "It's very lucky there are not any such cases now-a-days," said Sir Charles. "No woman would put a knife into another now." "Into any one who stood between me and my love I would, for one," said Mrs. Hammond under her breath; and she looked for a moment so fierce, that Mitford said, "Gad, I believe you!" in a similar tone. When the ladies had left the room Laurence Alsager said to Lord Dollamore: "You had heard that story before?" "What story, my dear Alsager?" "The legend of Egremont Priory." "Had I? Not unlikely. You know I'm a very eccentric reader, and delight in odd stories." "It's a pity you did not save Maxse the trouble of telling it again." "Do you think so? Well, do you know I can't agree with you? Its recital seemed to bring out the character of some of our friends in the highest degree; and if there is anything I delight in, it is the study of character." CHAPTER XV. EGREMONT PRIORY. Lady Mitford's proposition of a visit to Egremont Priory, though originally made in a kind of bravado, was remembered by most of her guests--notably by Mrs. Hammond, who saw in it a better chance of flirtation than she had had since her arrival at Redmoor. Ever since Georgie had noticed the warm lingering hand-pressure exchanged between her husband and her visitor on that occasion, she had been thoroughly on the _qui vive_, and, like most young women ignorant of the world's ways, had imagined that the best way to nip a flirtation in the bud was by being perpetually observant of all that took place, and by letting the guilty persons know that their conduct was watched. It requires considerable experience before a woman discovers that--so long as the affair is confined within certain bounds--totally to ignore its existence is her very best policy; a policy which saves her from infinite domestic discomfort, and is besides the only possible method of galling her rival.