"Indeed, George, she would find our society very instructive. She may be smart, as you say, but she certainly is not a lady." Claudia nodded. "I did not think so myself when I saw her in Loudon." "Ah, yes"--Mrs. Craver turned briskly--"of course, you saw her. Considering how badly Sir Hector behaved to you, my dear, I wonder she had the impudence to call. What courage she must have." "Oh, I don't know, Mrs. Craver," Claudia shrugged, carelessly. "Naturally Lady Wyke was anxious to see me, seeing that I was to marry her husband. He was not to blame, poor man, as he quite believed that she was dead." "She had no business to come alive again," retorted Mrs. Craver. "Yet I am glad, for Edwin's sake, that things have turned out as they have done." "My dear Emma, you couldn't expect Lady Wyke to allow her husband to commit bigamy. Why shouldn't she come alive again, as you put it?" "She should have remained always with her husband, as a true and faithful wife should," replied Mrs. Craver, drawing up her spare figure. "I don't think that the separation was Sir Hector's fault," said Claudia, after a pause. "He was a very polite and amiable old man. I certainly did not wish to marry him, as I always loved Edwin. But my father made me accept." "Strange, my dear, seeing how strong-minded you are." "You have not met my father," rejoined the girl, briefly. "I don't think I want to. Of course, when you marry Edwin, he must come to the wedding, I suppose, and give you away. But he is much too dashing a gentleman for quiet people such as we are." "Why, Emma," said the Rector, surprised, "I did not know you had seen him." "I saw him outside the doors of the Entertainment Hall when the inquest was taking place. I happened to be passing on that day. Your father, my dear"--she addressed Claudia--"is a handsome man; but I should think he has a temper." "He has," said the man's daughter, significantly. "Perhaps, if you knew my father you would not want me to marry Edwin." "What nonsense. I love you for your own sweet sake. Your father will go back to Australia, I hope, and then we need not be bothered with him." "Emma! Emma!" "Well, I can't help it, George. After all, in trying to make Claudia marry that old man who died, Mr. Lemby did not behave very well." "All the same, he is Claudia's father," said the Rector, reprovingly. The girl flushed, and then turned rather pale, as she felt a trifle embarrassed during this discussion. If Mrs. Craver talked of her father in this way when he was absent, what would she say when he was present. The precise, refined little lady would never get on with the pirate, who was all that she was not. Mrs. Craver, less observant than the Rector, accepted the reproof, although she did not notice Claudia's change of colour, and went on to make other remarks dealing with another subject.