e me, if I fail quite to understand your Grace."

"We are both of us growing old, my good Bernstein, or, perhaps, we won't
understand when we don't choose to understand. That is the way with us
women, my good young Iroquois."

"Your Grace remarked, that it was a Christian country," said Madame de
Bernstein, "and I failed to perceive the point of the remark."

"Indeed, my good creature, there is very little point in it! I meant
we were such good Christians, because we were so forgiving. Don't
you remember reading, when you were young, or your husband the Bishop
reading, when he was in the pulpit, how when a woman amongst the Jews
was caught doing wrong, the Pharisees were for stoning her out of hand?
Far from stoning such a woman now, look, how fond we are of her! Any man
in this room would go round it on his knees if yonder woman bade him.
Yes, Madame Walmoden, you may look up from your cards with your great
painted face, and frown with your great painted eyebrows at me. You know
I am talking about you; and intend to go on talking about you, too. I
say any man here would go round the room on his knees, if you bade him!"

"I think, madam, I know two or three who wouldn't!" says Mr. Warrington,
with some spirit.

"Quick, let me hug them to my heart of hearts!" cries the old Duchess.
"Which are they? Bring 'em to me, my dear Iroquois! Let us have a game
of four--of honest men and women; that is to say, if we can find a
couple more partners, Mr. Warrington!"

"Here are we three," says the Baroness Bernstein, with a forced laugh;
"let us play a dummy."

"Pray, madam, where is the third?" asks the old Duchess, looking round.

"Madam!" cries out the other elderly lady, "I leave your Grace to boast
of your honesty, which I have no doubt is spotless: but I will thank you
not to doubt mine before my own relatives and children!"

"See how she fires up at a word! I am sure, my dear creature, you are
quite as honest as most of the company," says the Duchess.

"Which may not be good enough for her Grace the Duchess of Queensberry
and Dover, who, to be sure, might have stayed away in such a case, but
it is the best my nephew could get, madam, and his best he has given
you. You look astonished, Harry, my dear--and well you may. He is not
used to our ways, madam."

"Madam, he has found an aunt who can teach him our ways, and a great
deal more!" cries the Duchess, rapping her fan.

"She will teach him to try and make all his