Some days afterwards Lady Katrine took up a book, in which Helen’s name was written in Beauclerc’s hand. “_Gage d’amitié?_” said her ladyship; and she walked up and down the room, humming the air of an old French song; interrupting herself now and then to ask her sister if she could recollect the words. “The _refrain_, if I remember right, is something like this-- Sous le nom d’amitié--sous le nom d’amitié, La moitié du monde trompe l’autre moitié, Sous le nom, sous le nom, sous le nom d’amitié. And it ends with Sous le nom d’amitié, Damon, je vous adore, Sous le nom, sous le nom d’amitié. “Miss Stanley, do you know that song?” concluded her malicious ladyship. No--Miss Stanley had never heard it before; but the marked emphasis with which Lady Katrine sung and looked, made Helen clear that she meant to apply the words tauntingly to her and Beauclerc,--but which of them her ladyship suspected was cheating, or cheated--“_sous le nom d’amitié_,” she did not know. All was confusion in her mind. After a moment’s cooler reflection, however, she was certain it could not be Beauclerc who was to blame--it must be herself, and she now very much wished that every body, and Lady Katrine in particular, should know that Mr. Beauclerc was engaged--almost married; if this were but known, it would put an end to all such imputations. The first time she could speak to Cecilia on the subject, she begged to know how soon Mr. Beauclerc’s engagement would be declared. Lady Cecilia slightly answered she could not tell--and when Helen pressed the question she asked,-- “Why are you so anxious, Helen?” Helen honestly told her, and Lady Cecilia only laughed at her for minding what Lady Katrine said,--“When you know yourself, Helen, how it is, what can it signify what mistakes others may make?” But Helen grew more and more uneasy, for she was not clear that she did know how it was, with herself at least. Her conscience faltered, and she was not sure whether she was alarmed with or without reason. She began to compare feelings that she had read of, and feelings that she had seen in others, and feelings that were new to herself, and in this maze and mist nothing was distinct--much was magnified--all alarming.