"She must know about it," Mrs Trumbler suggested. "But I dare say you're right, Miss Swinkerton." "If such a thing had happened in my family, I should consider myself personally affronted by any reference to the persons concerned." "The Vicar says he's sadly afraid that the notions of the upper classes on such subjects are very lax." "Not at all," said Miss S. tartly. Really she needed no instruction from the Vicar. "And as I say, my dear, she's a girl. The ball will mark a new departure. I said so to Madame Zabriska and she quite agreed with me." Mrs Trumbler frowned pensively. "I suppose Madame Zabriska has been a widow some time?" she remarked. "I have never inquired," said Miss S. with an air of expecting applause for a rare discretion. "I wonder what Mr Harry will do! The Vicar says he must be terribly upset." "Oh, I never professed to understand that young man. All I know is that he's going abroad." "Abroad?" "Yes, my dear. I heard it in the town, and Madame Zabriska said she had no doubt it was correct." "But surely Madame Zabriska doesn't correspond----?" "I don't know, my dear. I know what she said." She looked at Mrs Trumbler and went on with emphasis: "It doesn't do to judge foreigners as we should judge ourselves. If I corresponded with Mr Tristram it would be one thing; if Madame Zabriska--and to be sure she has nobody to look after her; that Major is no better than any silly young man--chooses to do so, it's quite another. All I say is that, so far as Blent is concerned, there's an end of Mr Tristram. Why, he hasn't got a penny piece, my dear." "So I heard," agreed Mrs Trumbler. "I suppose they won't let him starve." "Oh, arrangements are made in such cases," nodded Miss S. "But of course nothing is said about them. For my part I shall never mention either Mr Tristram or the late Lady Tristram to her present ladyship." Mrs Trumbler was silent for a while; at last her mouth spoke the thoughts of her heart. "I suppose she'll be thinking of marrying soon. But I don't know anybody in the neighborhood----" "My dear, she'll have her house in town in the season. The only reason the late Lady Tristram didn't do so was---- Well, you can see that for yourself, Mrs Trumbler!" "What must the Ivers think about it! What an escape! How providential!" "Let us hope it'll be a lesson to Janie. If I had allowed myself to think of position or wealth, I should have been married half a dozen times, Mrs Trumbler." "I dare say you would," said faithful Mrs Trumbler. But this assent did not prevent her from remarking to the Vicar that Miss S. sometimes talked of things which no unmarried woman could be expected really to understand.