rench has just
been here--a downright virago--declaring that the girl has been
led astray, and that I am responsible for it? Can you imagine such
impertinence? She has fibbed shockingly to the people at home--told
them she was constantly here with me in the evenings, when she must have
been--who knows where. It will teach me to meddle again with girls of
that class.'

Mankelow stood with his hands behind him, and legs apart, regarding the
speaker with a comically puzzled air.

'My dear Mrs. Damerel,'--he had a thick, military sort of voice,--'why
in the world should this interpose between us and dinner? Afterwards, we
might--'

'But I am really anxious about the silly little creature. It would be
extremely disagreeable if my name got mixed up in a scandal of any
kind. You remember my telling you that she didn't belong exactly to
the working-class. She has even a little property of her own; and I
shouldn't wonder if she has friends who might make a disturbance if
her--her vagaries could be in any way connected with me and my circle.
Something was mentioned about Brussels. She has been chattering about
some one who wanted to take her to Brussels--'

The listener arched his eyebrows more and more.

'What _can_ it matter to you?'

'To be sure, I have no acquaintance with any one who could do such
things--'

'Why, of course not. And even if you had, I understand that the girl is
long out of her teens--'

'Long since.'

'Then it's her own affair--and that of the man who cares to purchase
such amusement. By-the-bye, it happens rather oddly that I myself have
to run over to Brussels on business; but I trust'--he laughed--'that my
years and my character--'

'Oh, Mr. Mankelow, absurd! It's probably some commercial traveller, or
man of that sort, don't you think? The one thing I _do_ hope is, that,
if anything like this happens, the girl will somehow make it clear to
her friends that _I_ had no knowledge whatever of what was going on. But
that can hardly be hoped, I fear!--'

Their eyes crossed; they stood for a moment perusing vacancy.

'Yes, I think it might be hoped,' said Mankelow airily. 'She seemed to
me a rather reckless sort of young person. It's highly probable she will
write letters which release every one but herself from responsibility.
In fact'--he gazed at her with a cynical smile--'my knowledge of human
nature disposes me to assure you that she certainly will. She might
even, I should say, write a l