'"I suppose," she said at length, with a little sigh, as she raised her head, "that, in truth, neither of us knows much about the matter. We only think as we have been taught to think at home. All I know is, what my father used to say about the Duke of Monmouth,--that he has no right to the throne whatever, and that, even if he were to get it, he has not wit enough to keep it; and also, that he is a bad, unprincipled man, who cares as little for the Protestant faith as for any other." '"Then your father judges him very harshly and untruly, and can know nothing about him," cried Bessie, firing up in high indignation. "My uncle is his great friend, and I have often heard him say that the Duke of Monmouth is a stanch Protestant, and a man of honour, and far more noble and princely than the King." 'To this Henrietta made no reply, and at first I thought she was offended, and going off wrathfully without another word, for she turned away and moved a few steps up the shrubbery; then, after a moment's hesitation, she came back and laid her hand upon Bessie's arm. '"Listen to me, Bess. I don't wish to quarrel about the Duke of Monmouth or anybody else; but in this we shall agree, I warrant: Madame St. Aubert ought to be told that we have found out this secret of hers. I am heartily sorry that you chanced to overhear it; but, since we have discovered it, and in this way too (which is a somewhat crooked one, I must say), I think the only straightforward thing to do is to go at once and tell her simply what we know, and how we knew it."