divine lamp you shall read and understand whatever has been great and noble and pure and beautiful in all the song and story of the world! And yet perhaps it is not altogether absurd," the pretty Mrs. Ellison continued, with a bit of a sigh. "It is pathetic, rather. I wish there were a few more such men as that; the world could get on very well with a few more of them. But they don’t seem to exist nowadays." "Ah, if you only knew! Perhaps your experience has been unfortunate," her companion said, wistfully: whereupon the young widow, without turning her head towards him, perceptibly sniggered. "Oh, _you_!" she exclaimed, in derision. "You! You needn’t pretend to come into that exalted category—no, indeed——" "I suppose people have been saying things about me to you," said he, with a certain affectation of being hurt. "But you needn’t have believed them all the same." "People!" she said. "People! Why, everybody knows what you are! A professional breaker of poor young innocent girls’ hearts. Haven’t we all heard of you? Haven’t we all heard how you went on in America? No such stories came home about Vin, I can assure you. Oh, we all know what you are!" "You may have heard one story," said he, somewhat stiffly; "but if you knew what it really was, you would see that it was nothing to joke about. Some time I will tell you. Some other time when you are in a more friendly, a more believing and sympathetic, mood." "Oh, yes," she said, laughing. "A very heart-rending story, no doubt! And you were deeply injured, of course, being so extremely innocent! You forget that I have seen you in a good many houses; you forget that I have been watching your goings-on with Louie Drexel, in this very place. Do you think I can’t recognise the old hand—the expert—the artist? Lord Musselburgh, you can’t deceive me." "Probably not," said he, sharply. "If all tales be true you have acquired some experience yourself." "Oh, who said that about me!" she demanded, with indignation (but her eyes were not indignant, they were rather darkly amused, if only he had made bold to look at them.) "Who dared to say such a thing? And of course you listened without a word of protest: probably you assented! What it is to have friends! But perhaps some day I, also, may have a little story to tell you; and then you may understand me a little better."