f the April Fool.
To send her entirely to Coventry was rather too drastic treatment for
an earl's daughter, but many a cold glance came her way.

"Birds of a feather nest together," was one of the tart observations
that fell upon her ears as she passed a group of women who only
yesterday were fawning upon her. Plainly it was considered a fresh
outrage upon womanhood that she should have given the protection of her
name and cabin to the heroine of last night's scandal.

She did not mind very much. With a clear conscience on this count at
least, she was able to meet their displeasure imperturbably. But she
could not help feeling sorry for the real Diana.

That unfortunate creature, on venturing forth to her own cabin, was met
by the sight of Mrs. Stanislaw dragging all her possessions into the
corridor. It appeared that even for the few remaining days at sea the
tigress could not lie down with the black sheep! A sweet and
sympathetic soul, who also lived down the same alley and had the same
horror of contaminating influence, had therefore offered to take her
in. The picturesque incident was being witnessed and silently approved
by women in the neighbouring cabins, who, curiously enough, all
happened to be busy packing with their doors open, so as not to miss
anything.

It must be remembered that most of these people had been persistently
flouted, even insulted, by Diana during the voyage. Some of them,
matrons with daughters of their own, were really shocked by the "bad
example" her behaviour had established. So it was perhaps not to be
wondered at that a sort of combined sniff of holiness and
self-righteousness went up to Heaven when the culprit came barging down
the passage, nose in air, and a defiant flush upon her cheek.
Stumbling over the trunks and piles of clothes which littered the
place, she managed to gain her room, and close the door behind her with
a resounding bang to show how little she cared about any of them. But
it was immediately reopened by Mrs. Stanislaw, come to fetch more of
her things, and not averse to talking as long as possible over the
business. By continually going backwards and forwards for small
armfuls of articles, and always leaving the door open, she managed to
deprive Diana of all privacy. The latter bore with it for as long as
her patience lasted, which was about five minutes. Then she flung out
of the room, hoping to find refuge elsewhere. But wherever she went it
was