that the girl was regarded as half-angler and half-bait.  Any girl that angled visibly with her own hook, with a manifestly expressed desire to catch a fish, was odious to her.  And she was very gentle-hearted in regard to the fishes, thinking that every fish in the river should have the hook and bait presented to him in the mildest, pleasantest form.  But still, when the trout was well in the basket, her joy was great; and then came across her unlaborious mind some half-formed idea that a great ordinance of nature was being accomplished in the teeth of difficulties.  For as she well knew there is a difficulty in the catching of fish.

Lady Milborough, in her kind anxiety on Nora’s behalf that the fish should be landed before Nora might be swept away in her sister’s ruin hardly knew what step she might safely take.  Mrs Trevelyan would not see her again having already declared that any further interview would be painful and useless.  She had spoken to Trevelyan, but Trevelyan had declared that he could do nothing.  What was there that he could have done?  He could not, as he said, overlook the gross improprieties of his wife’s conduct, because his wife’s sister had, or might possibly have, a lover.  And then as to speaking to Mr Glascock himself nobody knew better than Lady Milborough how very apt fish are to be frightened.

But at last Lady Milborough did speak to Mr Glascock making no allusion whatever to the hook prepared for himself, but saying a word or two as to the affairs of that other fish, whose circumstances, as he floundered about in the bucket of matrimony, were not as happy as they might have been.  The care, the discretion, nay, the wisdom with which she did this were most excellent.  She had become aware that Mr Glascock had already heard of the unfortunate affair in Curzon Street.  Indeed, every one who knew the Trevelyans had heard of it, and a great many who did not know them.  No harm, therefore, could be done by mentioning the circumstance.  Lady Milborough did mention it, explaining that the only person really in fault was that odious destroyer of the peace of families, Colonel Osborne, of whom Lady Milborough, on that occasion, said some very severe things indeed.  Poor dear Mrs Trevelyan was foolish, obstinate, and self-reliant but as innocent as the babe unborn.  That things would come right before long no one who knew the affair—­and she knew it from beginning to end—­could for a moment doubt.  The real victim would be that sweetest of all girls, Nora Rowley.  Mr Glascock innocently asked why Nora Rowley should be a victim.  ’Don’t you understand, Mr Glascock, how the most remote connection with a thing of that kind tarnishes a young woman’s standing in the world?’ Mr Glascock was almost angry with the well-pleased Countess as he declared that he could not see that Miss Rowley’s standing was at all tarnished; and old Lady Milborough, when he got up and left her, felt that she had done a good morning’s work.