t
later in the afternoon Lord George came back again, his wife being in
the room, and then there was a little more ease. "You can't think how
it grieves me," she said, "to bring all this trouble upon you." She
emphasised the word "you," as though to show him that she cared nothing
for his mother and sisters.

"It is no trouble to me," said Lord George, bowing low. "I should say
that it was a pleasure, were it not that your presence here is attended
with so much pain to yourself."

"The pain is nothing," said Mrs. Houghton. "I have hardly thought of
it. It is much more than compensated by the renewal of my intimacy with
Lady George Germain." This she said with her very prettiest manner, and
he told himself that she was, indeed, very pretty.

Lady George,--or Mary, as we will still call her, for simplicity, in
spite of her promotion,--had become somewhat afraid of Mrs. Houghton;
but now, seeing her husband's courtesy to her guest, understanding from
his manner that he liked her society, began to thaw, and to think that
she might allow herself to be intimate with the woman. It did not occur
to her to be in any degree jealous,--not, at least, as yet. In her
innocence she did not think it possible that her husband's heart should
be untrue to her, nor did it occur to her that such a one as Mrs.
Houghton could be preferred to herself. She thought that she knew
herself to be better than Mrs. Houghton, and she certainly thought
herself to be the better looking of the two.

Mrs. Houghton's beauty, such as it was, depended mainly on style; on a
certain dash and manner which she had acquired, and which, to another
woman, were not attractive. Mary knew that she, herself, was beautiful.
She could not but know it. She had been brought up by all belonging to
her with that belief; and so believing, had taught herself to
acknowledge that no credit was due to herself on that score. Her beauty
now belonged entirely to her husband. There was nothing more to be done
with it, except to maintain her husband's love, and that, for the
present, she did not in the least doubt. She had heard of married men
falling in love with other people's wives, but she did not in the least
bring home the fact to her own case.

In the course of that afternoon all the ladies of the family sat for a
time with their guest. First came Lady Sarah and Lady Susanna. Mrs.
Houghton, who saw very well how the land lay, rather snubbed Lady
Sarah. She had nothing to f