“This—­this doth trend to set my brain a-whirl, and doth connive to part sense from understanding and mind from body.  To be sure, ’twas dark,—­and allowing that I was well-nigh intoxicated with love—­my brain could truly swear ’twas Sir Julian; and yet this he flung aside doth confute reason, and I must either ponder upon the this and that in endeavouring to conjoin mental and physical forces to sweet amity or give over that reaching wife’s estate hath made of me a sordid fool, as hath it oft made woman heretofore.  My senses up until I met one of two at the foot of the stair, I could make affidavit on.  The mould of either could well trick the other, providing their heads were as muddled as mine, and in this matter I am also clear.  ’Twas meet to speak lowly and the voice was not betrayed.  But—­there was some restraint at first; for his words came slow and with much flaunting of French—­indeed ’twas overdone.—­And the duel—­ah! ah!—­’twas Cedric’s ‘Nay, nay, nay!—­’ with an oath that had no note of Sir Julian in it.  And hard he strove not to fight, nor did he until the other cried out to him—­I see it all plainly; ’twas Cedric, ’twas Cedric!  If I could mistake all else, I could not mistake his passion; ’twas:  ‘Kate’ this, and ‘Kate’ that.  Sir Julian never called me else than Katherine.  And his words were over plain, and in truth they became not so slow and studied, and there was a leaving off of French.  ’Twas he!  Ah! and he was so sweet and gentle and near drowned me by his tenderness—­’twas such sweet love—­” Quickly she hid her blushing face in the pillow, for she forgot she was speaking aloud.

“Hast thou then married mind to body?  If thou hast them well mated and art sure thou art through espousing, I will straightway wed thee to thy clothes, that thou mayest first pay thy respects to their Graces, then go out into the sunshine and walk thee up and down for the half of an hour, where, ’tis most like thou wilt find thy lord, who is too impatient to remain indoors.”

“Nay, I shall not see him!”

“Tut, Lambkin! thou wouldst not play the shrew to so noble a lord, that soon, no doubt, will be a great Duke?”

“He hath tricked and deceived me.  I will punish him for it.  Nay; I have no mind to see him.  I could not bear it, Janet.  ’Twas this he meant, for I wondered when he said he had fought two duels and had been victor in both.  Nay; he shall not see me nor I him.”  And with these thoughts came others, and thus she fostered malice, promoting but a puny aversion that she cherished the more for its frailty.

“Art thou set upon affecting the manners of an orange girl?”

“Janet, I would not make feint at that I am not.”

“Neither would I, if ’twere me, make feint at that thou art.  If thou hast the name of Lady, I would fit my demeanour to the word.  And it should be an easy thing, for thou art born to the manner.”

“But bad nursing doth corrupt good blood!”