hing! I knocked at your door;
there was a drumming in my ears, and I fancied your voice answered me
telling me to enter. Oh, try winking, pa, try winking! Your room was
empty--left unguarded, the door unlocked. I entered. Wink, pa; for
mercy's sake, wink! I sank into a chair to wait for your coming, [Taking
the written paper from her pocket.] and there, on your table, right
before my eyes, I saw this thing like a white ghost.

SIR JULIAN TWOMBLEY.

A memorandum in my writing that the concession for the Rajputana Canal
is to be granted.

LADY TWOMBLEY.

Yes, yes. I tried to forget it was there. But the chairs and tables
seemed to dance before me and every object in the room had a voice
crying out, "Kitty, you silly woman, get back your Bills from that demon
who is plaguing you!" I put my fingers in my ears and then the voices
were shut up in my brain, and still they shrieked, "Kitty, get back your
Bills! Get back your Bills!" I snatched up this paper and ran from the
room. Even then if I had met you, Julian, I should have been safe; but
whenever Old Nick wants to play the deuce with a married lady he begins
by taking her husband for a stroll, and so I fell into Lebanon's
clutches--and I--I--I'm done for! [She sinks into a chair.]

SIR JULIAN TWOMBLEY.

Katherine, those Bills must be returned to the creature, Lebanon.

LADY TWOMBLEY.

Yes. And--and--pa, dear, you'll never speak kindly to me after this,
will you?

SIR JULIAN TWOMBLEY.

I trust I shall be invariably polite to you, Katherine.

LADY TWOMBLEY.

Oh-h-h! We shall be whitewashed in the Bankruptcy Court eventually, I
suppose?

SIR JULIAN TWOMBLEY.

All in good time, Katherine.

LADY TWOMBLEY.

And then--what then?

SIR JULIAN TWOMBLEY.

Then we must hope for a cottage, and a small garden where we can grow
our own vegetables and learn wisdom.

LADY TWOMBLEY.

Our--own--vegetables. And years hence, pa, sometimes when I am sitting
over my knitting, you'll forget the past, and play your flute again, and
be happy?

SIR JULIAN TWOMBLEY.

Katherine! [He takes his flute from his pocket and breaks it into pieces
across his knee.] Never, never again, Katherine. [As he is leaving her.]
One pang of remorse I can spare you, Katherine.

LADY TWOMBLEY.

Don't!

SIR JULIAN TWOMBLEY.

You believe you have betrayed a solemn secret of the Government to that
unprincipled money-lender.

LADY TWOMBLEY.

Of course.

SIR JULIAN TWOMBLEY.

Th