all about a great many things."

"You see what you're in for, Connor," said her husband. "It is a serious
business when my lady takes one in hand."

"As he knows to his cost," she said, smiling and shaking her head at her
husband.

"So I can testify," put in The Duke.

"Ah! I can't do anything with you," she replied, turning to him.

"Your most abject slave," he replied with a profound bow.

"If you only were," smiling at him--a little sadly, I thought--"I'd keep
you out of all sorts of mischief."

"Quite true, Duke," said her husband, "just look at me."

The Duke gazed at him a moment or two. "Wonderful!" he murmured, "what a
deliverance!"

"Nonsense!" broke in Lady Charlotte. "You are turning my mind away from
my purpose."

"Is it possible, do you think?" said The Duke to her husband.

"Not in the very least," he replied, "if my experience goes for
anything."

But Lady Charlotte turned her back upon them and said to me:

"Now, tell me first about Bill's encounter with that funny little
Scotchman."

Then I told her the story of Bill's bluff in my best style, imitating,
as I have some small skill in doing, the manner and speech of the
various actors in the scene. She was greatly amused and interested.

"And Bill has really got his share ready," she cried. "It is very clever
of him."

"Yes," I replied, "but Bill is only the very humble instrument, the
moving spirit is behind."

"Oh, yes, you mean the little girl that owns the pony," she said.
"That's another thing you must tell me about."

"The Duke knows more than I," I replied, shifting the burden to him; "my
acquaintance is only of yesterday; his is lifelong."

"Why have you never told me of her?" she demanded, turning to the Duke.

"Haven't I told you of the little Meredith girl? Surely I have," said
The Duke, hesitatingly.

"Now, you know quite well you have not, and that means you are deeply
interested. Oh, I know you well," she said, severely.

"He is the most secretive man," she went on to me, "shamefully and
ungratefully reserved."

The Duke smiled; then said, lazily: "Why, she's just a child. Why should
you be interested in her? No one was," he added sadly, "till misfortune
distinguished her."

Her eyes grew soft, and her gay manner changed, and she said to The Duke
gently: "Tell me of her now."

It was evidently an effort, but he began his story of Gwen from the time
he saw her first, years ago, playing in and out of her father