"You remember the young lady we saw sketching among the ruins yesterday?" "Yes," she replied. "It was Miss West--De Vere's inamorata," he answered. Lady Adela did not speak for a moment. She was surprised into silence. When she recovered her speech, she said, faintly: "You said she was staying in the neighborhood for the sketching." "That was a small fib, Lady Adela, for which I humbly crave your pardon. The truth is that Miss West's father, lately dead, has left his daughter to Mrs. West's care. She is staying at Lancaster because she has no other home." "Ah! Then she is the housekeeper's niece. I presume that is the reason Lady Lancaster called her a servant," said the earl's daughter, in a tone that quite excused the dowager. He gave her a quick look which, not being an adept in reading expressions, Lady Adela did not understand. "No, she is not Mrs. West's niece. Her father's brother was Mrs. West's husband. There is all the relationship there is," he said, almost curtly. Lady Adela gave him a glance that was rather haughty, yet half jealous. "I can see that Lieutenant De Vere has a zealous champion in you," she said, with a tincture of bitterness in her voice. "I do not think he needs or desires a champion," he answered. "No? And why not?" she asked. "Surely he must be aware that he will be censured by many for his course in marrying below his own station in life. He will need some one to make excuses for him." "His wife, if he wins her, will be an all-sufficient excuse for him," Lancaster said, calmly. "Why?" she asked, rather piqued at his words. "Because Miss West is quite fascinating enough to make any man excusable for his folly, if folly it be," he replied. "You are very complimentary to her," Lady Adela said, with her head held high. "I can not see how she could be so fascinating. I did not think she was so very pretty, really. She had quite common brown hair, and gray eyes, I think, and one of those baby faces that some people admire, but which I never did." "It is not at all a baby face," he said. "She has a great deal of character and decision in it, I think." "Indeed? But, of course, you have had a better chance of studying her face than I have, and may be a better judge. I think you are more than half-way in love with the housekeeper's niece yourself," Lady Adela exclaimed, flashing a reproachful glance upon him, for, being well aware of Lady Lancaster's scheme, she felt that he belonged to her. "De Vere would not like that much," he said, carelessly, without betraying his inward vexation. She fanned herself rapidly with her pink satin fan for a moment, then said, with a keen glance at him: "Lady Lancaster has formed a fine plan for showing him his folly and breaking off the affair." "Really?" he inquired, sarcastically. "Yes; she is quite sure that if he could once see this girl in the company of real ladies, he would see the difference and become disenchanted." "Yes?"