For instance, if you asked her whether she had read some book, or heard some piece of music, she _always_ answered with incredible temerity in the affirmative. If your subsequent remarks called for no further display of knowledge it was well--she felt that she had bravely acted her part, and not been behind the age; but if in your innocence or in your malice (for now and then a malicious person found her out and tormented her) you went into detail, asking what she thought, for instance, of Becky Sharp in "Vanity Fair," she might be ultimately compelled to avow that though she had read "Vanity Fair" she didn't remember Becky. Thus she placed herself in most uncomfortable situations, having the courage to run perpetual risks of detection, but not the courage to admit her ignorance of any thing which she imagined that a lady ought to know. When she had once affirmed her former knowledge of any thing, she stuck to it with astonishing hardihood, and accused the imperfection of her memory--one of her worst fibs, for her memory was excellent. The conversation at a great banquet is never so pleasant as that at a table small enough for everybody to hear everybody else, and the only approach to a general exchange of opinion on any single topic which occurred on the present occasion was about the house in which the entertainment was given. The Duke had never been to Wenderholme before, and during a lull in the conversation his eye wandered over the wainscot opposite to him. It had been painted white, but the carved panels still left their designs clearly visible under the paint. "What a noble room this is, Lady Helena!" he said; "but it is rather a pity--don't you think so?--that those beautiful panels should have been painted. It was done, no doubt, in the last century." "Yes, we regret very much that the house should have been modernized. We have some intention of restoring it." "Glad to hear that--very glad to hear that. I envy you the pleasure of seeing all these beautiful things come to light again. I wish I had a place to restore, Lady Helena; but those delights are over for me, and I can only hope to experience them afresh by taking an interest in the doings of my friends. I had a capital place for restoration formerly--an old Gothic house not much spoiled by the Renaissance, but overlaid by much incongruous modern work. So I determined to restore it, and for nearly four years it was the pleasantest hobby that a man could have. It turned out rather an expensive hobby, though, but I economized in some other directions, and did what seemed to be necessary." "Does your Grace allude to Varolby Priory?" asked Mr. Prigley, timidly. "Yes, certainly; yes. Do you know Varolby?" "I have never been there, but I have seen the beautiful album of illustrations of the architectural details which was engraved by your directions."