He was silent a minute or two, touched to the vague sadness of the exile. Then he turned to her. “Now tell me of yourself; I have thought much of you since your father’s death. It was a frightful end.” “It was.” “Do you remember our long talk under the magnolias? How little we thought then that his ambitions would so soon be over! You don’t look well. It must have been a great shock.” She gave a gesture of assent. “And you are sole mistress of everything?” “Yes.” “That is an immense burden.” “Yes.” “You must get someone to bear it with you. Pardon me, but I am as interested in your future as if you were one of my daughters. I saw something in a society paper about you this morning. I devoutly hope it is true.” “What was it?” “That you were about to marry Lord Hurstmanceaux.” “What!” She rose from her seat as if a snake had bitten her, her colorless skin grew red as a rose, her eyes blazed with an indignation for which her companion was puzzled to account. “Whoever dare--whoever dare----” she said breathlessly. Framlingham was astonished. “Come, come, my dear; there’s nothing in the report to put your back up like that. I don’t know him personally, but I have always heard that he is a very fine fellow--poor--but that wouldn’t matter to you; on my word, I don’t think you could possibly do better. You might get much higher rank, of course, but then you don’t care about rank. Pray be seated and calm yourself.” “How could such a falsehood possibly be put in print?” she said nervously. “You might be more astonished if you saw a truth in print,” said Framlingham with a chuckle. “So it’s no foundation, eh? Do you know him?” “Slightly. He called on me on business a few weeks since. But he is the very last person on earth of whom a statement of that kind could ever possibly be true.” “Humph!” said Framlingham, and he threw a dead stick for Whisky to fetch. “His sister played fast and loose with your father’s money, didn’t she?” he asked. “I would prefer not to speak of her.” “All right,” said Framlingham rather disappointed. “But because you don’t like the sister that is no reason to refuse the brother. I have always heard that she is a thorn in his side.” “There could be no question of refusal or acceptance,” said Katherine, exceedingly annoyed. “Lord Hurstmanceaux and I scarcely know each other; and there is no one who more thoroughly despises myself and my origin than he does.” Framlingham was very astonished, and sent Whisky after another stick. “He can scarcely have told you so?” he said. “Hie--good dog--bring it!” “He has told me so in most unmistakable terms. Pray don’t think that I blame him for a moment; but you will understand that, knowing this, such a report as you speak of in the papers is incomprehensible to me and most odious.”