“But she nivver telled him so, nor none of us. She called herself Miss Frick, and first of all she wore a pair of blue spectacles, but trust her, she couldn’t stick to that long, because, you see, he couldn’t rightly see her face while she wore them, and so one fine day, she went and left them off! That’s why Mrs. Popham will have it that she was a spy! A spy! What for? She didn’t want to spy anything. She just wanted Mr. Rivers, and she got him! They used to go jaunting into the Park at all sorts of hours of the night, and loverish things like that!” “Oh, then it is your opinion they were lovers?” “Yes, ma’am, I do, and I am going for to say so. It is me that knows best, the lawyer says so.” “Whose lawyer?” “Mr. Mortimer Elles’s lawyer! He’s been down to see me times out of number. Aunt was dreadfully fashed; she said it put me out with my work!” “And this man--the lover--is he a nice man?” “Oh--ma’am!” “Very nice?” “The nicest gentleman I ever saw, or ever shall see. I would have done anything for him!” “And she--is she nice?” “Oh--ma’am!” “You don’t like her so well, I see!” “Ma’am, I should like to take and run this darning-needle into her. Brazened painted-up creature, so rude spoken, too--and great staring eyes, with black saucers round them---- ” “Whatever she is, he will have to marry her now!” Egidia remarked carelessly. “Ma’am!” “Oh, yes, as a man of honour, he is bound to, if she is to be divorced on his account. Did not the lawyer tell you that? How very clever! Perhaps he did not realise how a man of honour would feel under the circumstances. The lover is a man of honour, is he not?” “He’s a real gentleman, ma’am,” replied Jane Anne, translating Egidia’s description into her own language. “Well, then, I am sorry for him!” “But, ma’am, I don’t see why? She is a married woman; she carries on with him, her husband doesn’t like it--he can’t separate them, so he calls in the law to help him.” “Very nicely reasoned, Jane Anne! But the law only helps the husband to get rid of the woman who has betrayed him, he has nothing to do with the other man, who is of course bound to the woman who has lost her position through him. If the man you speak of is a gentleman, he will do what is usual, you may be sure of that!” The girl was quite speechless with emotion for a moment, then said, solemnly and sadly: “Shall I be the one to force him to that, ma’am?” “What do you mean? What have you to do with it?” “Because the lawyer young gentleman says it is on my evidence they chiefly rely, to prove the case against him!” “Oh, then, you may consider that you have married her to him, when the divorce is over! But what is your evidence?” “I saw them,” stammered Jane Anne, “the lawyer says I must tell what I know, and not swear falsely.” “Certainly you must tell what you know to be true.” She looked insistently at the girl, but not too insistently, lest she roused her suspicions.