judge then?"

"Not you, Lady Lufton. If such bad days should ever come--and neither
you nor I have a right to expect them--I will not come to you in my
troubles; not after this."

"Very well, my dear. You may go to the Duke of Omnium if that suits
you better."

"Fanny, come away," said Lady Meredith. "Why should you try to anger
my mother?"

"I don't want to anger her; but I won't hear him abused in that way
without speaking up for him. If I don't defend him, who will? Lady
Lufton has said terrible things about him; and they are not true."

"Oh, Fanny!" said Justinia.

"Very well, very well!" said Lady Lufton. "This is the sort of return
that one gets."

"I don't know what you mean by return, Lady Lufton: but would you
wish me to stand by quietly and hear such things said of my husband?
He does not live with such people as you have named. He does not
neglect his duties. If every clergyman were as much in his parish,
it would be well for some of them. And in going to such a house as
the Duke of Omnium's it does make a difference that he goes there
in company with the bishop. I can't explain why, but I know that it
does."

"Especially when the bishop is coupled up with the devil, as Mr.
Robarts has done," said Lady Lufton; "he can join the duke with them
and then they'll stand for the three Graces, won't they, Justinia?"
And Lady Lufton laughed a bitter little laugh at her own wit.

"I suppose I may go now, Lady Lufton."

"Oh, yes, certainly, my dear."

"I am sorry if I have made you angry with me; but I will not allow
any one to speak against Mr. Robarts without answering them. You have
been very unjust to him; and even though I do anger you, I must say
so."

"Come, Fanny; this is too bad," said Lady Lufton. "You have been
scolding me for the last half-hour because I would not congratulate
you on this new friend that your husband has made, and now you are
going to begin it all over again. That is more than I can stand. If
you have nothing else particular to say, you might as well leave me."
And Lady Lufton's face as she spoke was unbending, severe, and harsh.
Mrs. Robarts had never before been so spoken to by her old friend;
indeed, she had never been so spoken to by any one, and she hardly
knew how to bear herself.

"Very well, Lady Lufton," she said; "then I will go. Good-bye."

"Good-bye," said Lady Lufton, and turning herself to her table she
began to arrange her papers. Fanny had never before le