annoyed or bored, and the women had been dissatisfied.  Emily demanded nothing of the sort, and was certainly not dissatisfied.  She looked very handsome and happy.  Her looks positively improved, and when people began to call and she to pay visits, she was very much liked.  He had certainly been quite right in deciding to ask her to marry him.  If she had a son, he should congratulate himself greatly.  The more he saw of Osborn the more he disliked him.  It appeared that there was a prospect of a child there.

This last was indeed true, and Emily had been much touched and awakened to sympathy.  It had gradually become revealed to her that the Osborns were poorer than they could decently admit.  Emily had discovered that they could not even remain in the lodgings in Duke Street, though she did not know the reason, which was that Captain Osborn had been obliged to pay certain moneys to stave off a scandal not entirely unconnected with the young woman his arm had encircled the day Walderhurst had seen him on the top of the bus.  He was very well aware that if he was to obtain anything from Lord Walderhurst, there were several things which must be kept entirely dark.  Even a scandal belonging to the past could be made as unpleasant as an error of to-day.  Also the young woman of the bead cape knew how to manage him.  But they must remove to cheaper lodgings, and the rooms in Duke Street had been far from desirable.

Lady Walderhurst came in one morning from a walk, with a fresh colour and bright eyes, and before taking off her hat went to her husband’s study.

“May I come in?”

Walderhurst had been writing some uninteresting letters and looked up with a smile.

“Certainly,” he answered.  “What a colour you have!  Exercise agrees with you.  You ought to ride.”

“That was what Captain Osborn said.  If you don’t mind, I should like to ask you something.”

“I don’t mind.  You are a reasonable woman, Emily.  One’s safe with you.”

“It is something connected with the Osborns.”

“Indeed!” chilling slightly.  “I don’t care about them, you know.”

“You don’t dislike her, do you?”

“No-o, not exactly.”

“She’s—­the truth is, she is not at all well,” with a trifle of hesitance; “she ought to be better taken care of than she is in lodgings, and they are obliged to take very cheap ones.”

“If he had been a more respectable fellow his circumstances would have been different,” rather stiffly.

Emily felt alarmed.  She had not dreamed of the temerity of any remark suggestive of criticism.

“Yes,” hastily, “of course.  I am sure you know best; but—­I thought perhaps—­”

Walderhurst liked her timidity.  To see a fine, tall, upstanding creature colour in that way was not disagreeable when one realised that she coloured because she feared she might offend one.

“What did you think ’perhaps’?” was his lenient response.