or brother in the way."

Ashe's brow contracted.

"No, that he never was," he said, with energy. "Freddy was never in
anybody's way--least of all in mine."

"You know what I mean," she said, hastily. "And you know what friends he
and I were--poor Freddy! But, after all, the world's the world."

"Yes--we all grow on somebody's grave," said Ashe. Then, just as she
became conscious that she had jarred upon him, and must find a new
opening, he himself found it. "Tell me!" he said, bending forward with a
sudden alertness--"who is that lady?"

He pointed out a little figure in white, sitting in the opening of the
second drawing-room; a very young girl apparently, surrounded by a group
of men.

"Ah!" said Madame d'Estrees--"I was coming to that--that's my girl
Kitty--"

"Lady Kitty!" said Ashe, in amazement. "She's left school? I thought she
was quite a little thing."

"She's eighteen. Isn't she a darling? Don't you think her very pretty?"

Ashe looked a moment.

"Extraordinarily bewitching!--unlike other people?" he said, turning to
the mother.

Madame d'Estrees raised her eyebrows a little, in apparent amusement.

"I'm not going to describe Kitty. She's indescribable. Besides--you
must find her out. Do go and talk to her. She's to be half with me, half
with her aunt--Lady Grosville."

Ashe made some polite comment.

"Oh! don't let's be conventional!" said Madame d'Estrees, flirting her
fan with a little air of weariness--"It's an odious arrangement. Lady
Grosville and I, as you probably know, are not on terms. She says
atrocious things of me--and I--" the fair head fell back a little, and
the white shoulders rose, with the slightest air of languid
disdain--"well, bear me witness that I don't retaliate! It's not worth
while. But I know that Grosville House can help Kitty. So!--" Her
gesture, half ironical, half resigned, completed the sentence.

"Does Lady Kitty like society?"

"Kitty likes anything that flatters or excites her."

"Then of course she likes society. Anybody as pretty as that--"

"Ah! how sweet of you!" said Madame d'Estrees, softly--"how sweet of
you! I like you to think her pretty. I like you to say so."

Ashe felt and looked a trifle disconcerted, but his companion bent
forward and added--"I don't know whether I want you to flirt with her!
You must take care. Kitty's the most fantastic creature. Oh! my life
now'll be very different. I find she takes all my thoughts and most of
my tim