to the general health of Lady
Fanny.

"I didn't know my aunt was so unwell," said Bell.

"She isn't ill," said Bernard. "She never is ill; but then she is
never well."

"Your aunt," said Lady Julia, seeming to put a touch of sarcasm into
the tone of her voice as she repeated the word,--"your aunt has never
enjoyed good health since she left this house; but that is a long
time ago."

"A very long time," said Crosbie, who was not accustomed to be left
in his chair silent. "You, Dale, at any rate, can hardly remember
it."

"But I can remember it," said Lady Julia, gathering herself up. "I
can remember when my sister Fanny was recognised as the beauty of the
country. It is a dangerous gift, that of beauty."

"Very dangerous," said Crosbie. Then Lily laughed again, and Lady
Julia became more angry than ever. What odious man was this whom her
neighbours were going to take into their very bosom! But she had
heard of Mr Crosbie before, and Mr Crosbie also had heard of her.

"By-the-by, Lady Julia," said he, "I think I know some very dear
friends of yours."

"Very dear friends is a very strong word. I have not many very dear
friends."

"I mean the Gazebees. I have heard Mortimer Gazebee and Lady Amelia
speak of you."

Whereupon Lady Julia confessed that she did know the Gazebees. Mr
Gazebee, she said, was a man who in early life had wanted many
advantages, but still he was a very estimable person. He was now in
Parliament, and she understood that he was making himself useful. She
had not quite approved of Lady Amelia's marriage at the time, and so
she had told her very old friend Lady de Courcy; but-- And then Lady
Julia said many words in praise of Mr Gazebee, which seemed to amount
to this; that he was an excellent sort of man, with a full conviction
of the too great honour done to him by the earl's daughter who had
married him, and a complete consciousness that even that marriage
had not put him on a par with his wife's relations, or even with his
wife. And then it came out that Lady Julia in the course of the next
week was going to meet the Gazebees at Courcy Castle.

"I am delighted to think that I shall have the pleasure of seeing you
there," said Crosbie.

"Indeed!" said Lady Julia.

"I am going to Courcy on Wednesday. That, I fear, will be too early
to allow of my being of any service to your ladyship."

Lady Julia drew herself up, and declined the escort which Mr Crosbie
had seemed to offer. It gri