d.
But there was little need to ask that, for anyone who was fighting a
Walling became ipso facto a friend of Mrs. Billy's. She told Montague
that if he felt his social position was imperilled, all he had to do
was to come to her. She would gird on her armour and take the field.

"But tell me how you came to do it," she said.

He answered that there was very little to tell. He had taken up a case
which was obviously just, but having no idea what a storm it would
raise.

Then he noticed that his companion was looking at him sharply. "Do you
really mean that's all there is to it?" she asked.

"Of course I do," said he, perplexed.

"Do you know," was her unexpected response, "I hardly know what to make
of you. I'm afraid to trust you, on account of your brother."

Montague was embarrassed. "I don't know what you mean," he said.

"Everybody thinks there's some trickery in that suit," she answered.

"Oh," said Montague, "I see. Well, they will find out. If it will help
you any to know it, I've been having no end of scenes with my brother."

"I'll believe you," said Mrs. Billy, genially. "But it seems strange
that a man could have been so blind to a situation! I feel quite
ashamed because I didn't help you myself!"

The carriage had stopped at Mrs. Billy's home, and she asked him to
dinner. "There'll be nobody but my brother," she said,--"we're resting
this evening. And I can make up to you for my negligence!"

Montague had no engagement, and so he went in, and saw Mrs. Billy's
mansion, which was decorated in imitation of a Doge's palace, and met
Mr. "Davy" Alden, a mild-mannered little gentleman who obeyed orders
promptly. They had a comfortable dinner of half-a-dozen courses, and
then retired to the drawing-room, where Mrs. Billy sank into a huge
easy chair, with a decanter of whisky and some cracked ice in readiness
beside it. Then from a tray she selected a thick black cigar, and
placidly bit off the end and lighted it, and then settled back at her
ease, and proceeded to tell Montague about New York, and about the
great families who ruled it, and where and how they had got their
money, and who were their allies and who their enemies, and what
particular skeletons were hidden in each of their closets.

It was worth coming a long way to listen to Mrs. Billy tete-a-tete; her
thoughts were vigorous, and her imagery was picturesque. She spoke of
old Dan Waterman, and described him as a wild boar rooting chestnuts.