tle
farther, on a miniature of Lady Rose Delaney. So--"

"Apparently it was _her_ traps that worked," said Sir Wilfrid, smiling.
Lady Henry returned the smile unwillingly, as one loath to acknowledge
her own folly.

"I don't know that I was trapped. We both desired to come to close
quarters. Anyway, she soon showed me books, letters--from Lady Rose,
from Dalrymple, Lord Lackington--the evidence was complete....

"'Very well,' I said; 'it isn't your fault. All the better if you are
well born--I am not a person of prejudices. But understand, if you come
to me, there must be no question of worrying your relations. There are
scores of them in London. I know them all, or nearly all, and of course
you'll come across them. But unless you can hold your tongue, don't come
to me. Julie Dalrymple has disappeared, and I'll be no party to her
resurrection. If Julie Le Breton becomes an inmate of my house, there
shall be no raking up of scandals much better left in their graves. If
you haven't got a proper parentage, consistently thought out, we must
invent one--'"

"I hope I may some day be favored with it," said Sir Wilfrid.

Lady Henry laughed uncomfortably.

"Oh, I've had to tell lies," she said, "plenty of them."

"What! It was _you_ that told the lies?"

Lady Henry's look flashed.

"The open and honest ones," she said, defiantly.

"Well," said Sir Wilfrid, regretfully, "_some_ sort were indispensable.
So she came. How long ago?"

"Three years. For the first half of that time I did nothing but plume
myself on my good fortune. I said to myself that if I had searched
Europe through I could not have fared better. My household, my friends,
my daily ways, she fitted into them all to perfection. I told people
that I had discovered her through a Belgian acquaintance. Every one was
amazed at her manners, her intelligence. She was perfectly modest,
perfectly well behaved. The old Duke--he died six months after she came
to me--was charmed with her. Montresor, Meredith, Lord Robert, all my
_habitues_ congratulated me. 'Such cultivation, such charm, such
_savoir-faire!_ Where on earth did you pick up such a treasure? What are
her antecedents?' etc., etc. So then, of course--"

"I hope no more than were absolutely necessary!" said Sir Wilfrid,
hastily.

"I had to do it well," said Lady Henry, with decision; "I can't say I
didn't. That state of things lasted, more or less, about a year and a
half. And by now, where do you thi