ss, and saw both this world and the next in the
proper Beaminster light.

Lady Adela depended on her a good deal, at certain times: she had
forseen that the old lady would come to-day; she had heard of course of
Frank Breton's arrival in town, she would demand every detail; Lady
Adela knew that the account that she gave to Lady Carloes would be the
account that the town would receive.

By the fire Lord Richard, Lord Crewner and the nondescript young man
were talking together. Lady Adela caught fragments. "But of course
Dilchester is incautious--when was he anything else? What these fellows
need----"

That was her brother.

And then Lord Crewner, who believed that the windows of White's and
Brook's were the only courts of Ultimate Judgment. "That's all very
well, Beaminster, but I assure you, they were saying last night at the
club----"

As far as all that was concerned Lady Adela flung it aside. She must
attend to Lady Carloes, she must give to her the version of Frank
Breton's arrival that her mother would wish her to give. But what _was_
that version? And _was_ her mother really to be depended upon?

At so terrible a flash of disloyalty Lady Adela coloured.--Why were
things so difficult this afternoon? And why had she ever gone to that
picture-gallery?

Lady Carloes had, however, not yet arrived at Frank Breton. She never
paid a visit anywhere without tabulating carefully in her mind the
things that she must know before leaving the house. Her theory was that
she was really very old indeed, and couldn't possibly live much longer,
and that no moment therefore must be wasted. The more news that she
could give and receive before her ultimate departure, the more value
would her life have in retrospect.

She never went definitely into the exact worth that all the gossip that
she collected might have for anybody or anything; as with any other
collection it was pursuit rather than acquisition that fired the blood.
At the back of her old mind was a perfect lumber-room of muddle and
confusion--dusty gossip, cobwebs of scandal, windows thick with grime
and tightly closed. There was no time left now to do anything to that.
Meanwhile every day something was purchased or exchanged; muddle there
might be, but, thank God, nobody knew it.

"You must be very busy about the ball, my dear."

"Yes--it means a great deal of work. It's so long since we've had
anything here, but Norris is invaluable. You don't find servants like