ted the person of my own free will, and knows why, and approves of
my conduct so far. A word from your ladyship will be amply sufficient
to get me the situation.'

'Very well, Mrs. Rolland, I have no objection to be your reference,
under the circumstances. Mrs. Carbury will find me at home to-morrow
until two o'clock.'

'Mrs. Carbury is not well enough to leave the house, my lady. Her
niece, Miss Haldane, will call and make the inquiries, if your ladyship
has no objection.'

'I have not the least objection. The pretty niece carries her own
welcome with her. Wait a minute, Mrs. Rolland. This lady is Miss
Lockwood--my husband's cousin, and my friend. She is anxious to speak
to you about the courier who was in the late Lord Montbarry's service
at Venice.'

Mrs. Rolland's bushy eyebrows frowned in stern disapproval of the new
topic of conversation. 'I regret to hear it, my lady,' was all she
said.

'Perhaps you have not been informed of what happened after you left
Venice?' Agnes ventured to add. 'Ferrari left the palace secretly;
and he has never been heard of since.'

Mrs. Rolland mysteriously closed her eyes--as if to exclude some vision
of the lost courier which was of a nature to disturb a respectable
woman. 'Nothing that Mr. Ferrari could do would surprise me,' she
replied in her deepest bass tones.

'You speak rather harshly of him,' said Agnes.

Mrs. Rolland suddenly opened her eyes again. 'I speak harshly of
nobody without reason,' she said. 'Mr. Ferrari behaved to me, Miss
Lockwood, as no man living has ever behaved--before or since.'

'What did he do?'

Mrs. Rolland answered, with a stony stare of horror:-- 'He took
liberties with me.'

Young Lady Montbarry suddenly turned aside, and put her handkerchief
over her mouth in convulsions of suppressed laughter.

Mrs. Rolland went on, with a grim enjoyment of the bewilderment which
her reply had produced in Agnes: 'And when I insisted on an apology,
Miss, he had the audacity to say that the life at the palace was dull,
and he didn't know how else to amuse himself!'

'I am afraid I have hardly made myself understood,' said Agnes. 'I am
not speaking to you out of any interest in Ferrari. Are you aware that
he is married?'

'I pity his wife,' said Mrs. Rolland.

'She is naturally in great grief about him,' Agnes proceeded.

'She ought to thank God she is rid of him,' Mrs. Rolland interposed.

Agnes still persisted. 'I have known Mrs. Ferrari from h