oman I once
knew."

"Really?  You are extremely flattering!" she exclaimed.  She began to
see that her ruse of boldly returning to him as she had done and waiting
him there, even in defiance of old Parsons, was of no avail.

"I do not speak with any desire to hurt your feelings, Claudia," he went
on.  "I know my words are harsh ones, but I cannot remain a spectator of
your follies without reproving you."

"You would compel me to return to the deadly dulness of tennis,
tea-table gossip, church-decorating and country life in cotton blouses
and home-made skirts--eh?  Thank you; I object.  I had quite sufficient
of that at Winchester."

"I have no right to compel you to do anything," he answered.  "I only
suggest moderation, in your own interests.  On every side I hear
scandalous stories into which your name is introduced."

"And you believe them?" she asked quickly.  "You, my friend, believe all
these lying inventions of my enemies?"

"I believe nothing of which I have no proof."

"Then you believe in what is really proved?"

"Yes."

"In that case you must believe that, even though I possess all the
defects which you have enumerated, I nevertheless love you?"

"In woman's true love," he said slowly, emphasising every word, "there
is mingled the trusting dependence of a child, for she always looks up
to man as her protector and her guide.  Man, let him love as he may, has
an existence which lies outside the orbit of his affections.  He has his
worldly interests, his public character, his ambition, his competition
with other men--but the woman of noble mind centres all in that one
feeling of affection."

"Really?"  She laughed flippantly, toying with her bracelets.  "This is
a most erudite discourse.  It would no doubt edify the House if one
night you introduced the subject of love.  You've grown of late to be
quite a philosopher, my dear Dudley.  Politics and that horrid old
Foreign Office have entirely spoilt you."

"No, you misunderstand me," he went on, deeply in earnest.  "I merely
want to place before you the ut