"You came at Lady Vincent's invitation?" cried the viscount, shaking the speaker. "Y-y-yes, my lord!" stammered the valet. "You--came--at my invitation?" demanded Lady Vincent haughtily, fixing her eyes of fire on the creatures's dace. "Yes, my lady, you know I did! It is no use for us to deny it now! Ah, my lady, I alwasy warned you that we should be found out, and now sure enough we are!" replied Frisbie. Claudia clasped her hands and raised her eyes to Heaven with the look of one who would have called down fire upon the heads of these fiends in human form. Lord Vincent continued to question his valet. "Does Lady Vincent makes a practice of inviting you to her apartments?" "Y-y-yes, my lord!" "How often?" "Wh-wh-whenever your lordship's abscence seems to make it safe." "Then I am to understand that you are a favored suitor of Lady Vincent's?" "Yes, yes, my lord! Oh, my lord, I know I have done very wrong. I know I--" "Do you know that you deserve death, sir?" demanded the viscount, in a voice of thunder. "Oh, my lord, mercy! mercy! I know I am a great sinner! I could kill myself for it, if it wasn't for fear of losing my soul! All I can do now is to repent and confess! I do repent from the bottom of my heart; and I will confess everything! Yes, I will tell your lordship all about it and throw myself on your lordship's mercy! cried this remorseless villain. "Enough! I wish to hear no more from you just at present. Your confession would be scarcely fir for the ears of these ladies. your testimony must be reserved for a future occasion," said the viscont. And then turning to Claudia with the coolest and most insulting hauteur, he said: "And now! what have you to say to all this, my lady?" Claudia advanced into the center of the room; her step was firm; her head erect; her cheeks burning; her eyes blazing; her whole form dilated and lifted to grandeur; she looked a very Nemesis--a very Goddess of Retribute Justice, as throwing her consuming glance around upon the group, who fairly quailed before her, she said: