'I lay odds that one who thinks herself very smart won't show up,' said Mrs. Ingram; 'because I happen to know that a "distinguished person," as the newspapers say, sent for the list and ran his pen through her name.' 'Whom do you mean?' asked Lady Forestfield. 'Why, that horrible old Mrs. Van Groot, who, because she is hideous and common-looking, is always going about saying atrocious things of everybody nice.' 'I don't care much about Mrs. Van Groot myself,' said Sir Wolfrey; 'but it's enough to make a woman rear and plunge a bit when she has to run in double harness with such an unmitigated cad as Van Groot. The little Dutch pug is always getting up in the House, whelping and snarling at his betters.' 'I don't think it makes much matter what sort of a husband a woman may happen to have,' said Lord Forestfield, speaking deliberately, and looking round with his cold cynical smile. 'If she is naturally wicked, the vice is sure to show itself, no matter what treatment she may receive.' May Forestfield struggled hard but ineffectually to repress her rising colour, and the other ladies bit their lips in silence. Ugly topics such as crime (when called up for punishment), duty, and death were habitually testily ignored by them. Captain Seaver struck in to the rescue. 'I suppose you will be going away about the beginning of next month, Lady Forestfield?' he said. 'You generally stay at your place in Sussex--I forget its name--first, don't you?' 'You mean Woodburn?' said May, whose voice exhibited traces of the emotion under which she was suffering. 'Ay, Woodburn,' said the Captain; 'handy for Goodwood, isn't it, Dick?' 'Very handy, and a pleasant place,' said Lord Forestfield quietly. 'I am going down there this afternoon.' 'To tell the people to get it all in readiness,' said Mrs. Ingram. 'What a delightful man to take such trouble off one's hands!' 'I hope you will manage to take Snubs with you, Lady Forestfield,' said Sir Wolfrey. 'He has always been accustomed to go out of town, and he would feel it horribly if he were left behind.' 'And the cat, May, your lovely cat,' said Lady Northaw. 'I am afraid she would not stay,' said May. 'Probably not,' said Lord Forestfield; 'cats are like statesmen--they prefer places to persons. Now I must go to catch my train;' and with a smile and a general bow he left the room. There was little reticence in that company, and so, as soon as the door was closed, Captain Seaver said, 'I wonder what Dick has got in hand now! I always notice that peculiar expression on his face just before he is going to land some great _coup_. He looked just like that when he won at Stockbridge last year.' 'He is uncommonly wide awake,' said Sir Wolfrey; 'though what can he be going down to Woodburn for just now? Have you any notion, Lady Forestfield?'