ed Sir Wilfrid. "What's this man
home for just now?"

"Well, I _think_ Lady Henry knows," said Mademoiselle Julie, turning to
him an open look, like one who, once more, would gladly satisfy a
questioner if they could. "He talks to her a great deal. But why
shouldn't he come home?"

"Because he ought to be doing disagreeable duty with his regiment
instead of always racing about the world in search of something to get
his name up," said Sir Wilfrid, rather sharply. "At least, that's the
view his brother officers mostly take of him."

"Oh," said Mademoiselle Julie, with amiable vagueness, "is there
anything particular that you suppose he wants?"

"I am not at all in the secret of his ambitions," said Sir Wilfrid,
lifting his shoulders. "But you and Lady Henry seemed well acquainted
with him."

The straw-colored lashes veered her way.

"I had some talk with him in the Park this morning," said Julie Le
Breton, reflectively. "He wants me to copy his father's letters for Lady
Henry, and to get her to return the originals as soon as possible. He
feels nervous when they are out of his hands."

"Hm!" said Sir Wilfrid.

At that moment Lady Henry's door-bell presented itself. The vigor with
which Sir Wilfrid rang it may, perhaps, have expressed the liveliness of
his unspoken scepticism. He did not for one moment believe that General
Warkworth's letters had been the subject of the conversation he had
witnessed that morning in the Park, nor that filial veneration had had
anything whatever to say to it.

Julie Le Breton gave him her hand.

"Thank you very much," she said, gravely and softly.

Sir Wilfrid at the moment before had not meant to press it at all. But
he did press it, aware the while of the most mingled feelings.

"On the contrary, you were very good to allow me this conversation.
Command me at any time if I can be useful to you and Lady Henry."

Julie Le Breton smiled upon him and was gone.

Sir Wilfrid ran down the steps, chafing at himself.

"She somehow gets round one," he thought, with a touch of annoyance. "I
wonder whether I made any real impression upon her. Hm! Let's see
whether Montresor can throw any more light upon her. He seemed to be
pretty intimate. Her 'principles,' eh? A dangerous view to take, for a
woman of that _provenance._"

* * * * *

An hour or two later Sir Wilfrid Bury presented himself in the
Montresors' drawing-room in Eaton Place. He had come