There was a pause.

“Why, if I may ask,” said Sir Wilfrid, at the end of it, “did you quarrel with Jacob?  I understand there was a separate cause:” 

Lady Henry hesitated.

“He paid me a debt,” she said, at last, and a sudden flush rose in her old, blanched cheek.

“And that annoyed you?  You have the oddest code!”

Lady Henry bit her lip.

“One does not like one’s money thrown in one’s face.”

“Most unreasonable of women!”

“Never mind, Wilfrid.  We all have our feelings.”

“Precisely.  Well, no doubt Jacob will make peace.  As for—­Ah, here comes Montresor!”

A visible tremor passed through Lady Henry.  The door was thrown open, and the footman announced the Minister for War.

“Her grace, sir, is not yet returned.”

Montresor stumbled into the room, and even with his eye-glasses carefully adjusted, did not at once perceive who was in it.

Sir Wilfrid went towards him.

“Ah, Bury!  Convalescent, I hope?”

“Quite.  The Duchess has gone to meet Mrs. Delafield.”

“Mrs.—?” Montresor’s mouth opened.  “But, of course, you know?”

“Oh yes, I know.  But one’s tongue has to get oiled.  You see Lady Henry?”

Montresor started.

“I am glad to see Lady Henry,” he replied, stiffly.

Lady Henry slowly rose and advanced two steps.  She quietly held out her hand to him, and, smiling, looked him in the face.

“Take it.  There is no longer any cause of quarrel between us.  I raise the embargo.”

The Minister took the hand, and shook his head.

“Ah, but you had no right to impose it,” he said, with energy.

“Oh, for goodness sake, meet me half-way,” cried Lady Henry, “or I shall never hold out!”

Sir Wilfrid, whose half-embarrassed gaze was bent on the ground, looked up and was certain that he saw a gleam of moisture in those wrinkled eyes.

“Why have you held out so long?  What does it matter to me whether Miss Julie be a duchess or no?  That doesn’t make up to me for all the months you’ve shut your door on me.  And I was always given to understand, by-the-way, that it wouldn’t matter to you.”

“I’ve had three months at Torquay,” said Lady Henry, raising her shoulders.

“I hope it was dull to distraction.”

“It was.  And my doctor tells me the more I fret the more gout I may expect.”

“So all this is not generosity, but health?”

“Kiss my hand, sir, and have done with it!  You are all avenged.  At Torquay I had four companions in seven weeks.”

“More power to them!” said Montresor.  “Meredith, come here.  Shall we accept the pleas?”

Meredith came slowly from the window, his hands behind his back.

“Lady Henry commands and we obey,” he said, slowly.  “But to-day begins a new world—­founded in ruin, like the rest of them.”