I don't!" said the Vere candidly. "He's not my sort. But, Lord
bless you! I know how he's getting talked about because he comes
here--and serve him right too! He shouldn't meddle with my business."
She paused suddenly and drew a letter from her pocket,--laughed and
tossed it across the table.

"You can read that, if you like," she said indifferently. "He wrote it,
and sent it round to me last night."

Lady Winsleigh's eyes glistened eagerly,--she recognized Errington's
bold, clear hand at once,--and as she read, an expression of triumph
played on her features. She looked up presently and said--

"Have you any further use for this letter, Miss Vere? Or--will you allow
me to keep it?"

The Vere seemed slightly suspicious of this proposal, but looked amused
too.

"Why, what do you want it for?" she inquired bluntly. "To tease him
about me?"

Lady Winsleigh forced a smile. "Well--perhaps!" she admitted, then with
an air of gentleness and simplicity she continued, "I think, Miss Vere,
with you, that it is very wrong of Sir Philip,--very absurd of him, in
fact--to interfere with your affairs, whatever they may be,--and as it
is very likely annoying to you--"

"It _is_," interrupted Violet decidedly.

"Then, with the help of this letter--which, really--really--excuse me
for saying it!--quite compromises him," and her ladyship looked amiably
concerned about it, "I might perhaps persuade him not to--to--intrude
upon you--you understand? But if you object to part with the letter,
never mind! If I did not fear to offend you, I should ask you to
exchange it for--for something more--well! let us say, something more
substantial--"

"Don't beat about the bush!" said Violet, with a sudden oblivion of her
company manners. "You mean money?"

Lady Winsleigh smiled. "As you put it so frankly, Miss Vere--" she
began.

"Of course! I'm always frank," returned the Vere, with a loud laugh.
"Besides, what's the good of pretending? Money's the only thing worth
having--it pays your butcher, baker, and dressmaker--and how are you to
get along if you _can't_ pay them, I'd like to know! Lord! if all the
letters I've got from fools were paying stock instead of waste-paper,
I'd shut up shop, and leave the Brilliant to look out for itself!"

Lady Winsleigh felt she had gained her object, and she could now afford
to be gracious.

"That would be a great loss to the world," she remarked sweetly. "An
immense loss! London could scarcely ge