'You know I won't tell her anything you say to me; and I only want to know,
that I may put an end to it, my poor little cousin.'

'Thank you, Cousin Monica very much; but really and truly she does not
ill-use me.'

'Nor threaten you, child?'

'Well, _no_--no, she does not threaten.'

'And how the plague _does_ she frighten you, child?'

'Well, I really--I'm half ashamed to tell you--you'll laugh at me--and I
don't know that she wishes to frighten me. But there is something, is not
there, ghosty, you know, about her?'

'_Ghosty_--is there? well, I'm sure I don't know, but I suspect there's
something devilish--I mean, she seems roguish--does not she? And I really
think she has had neither cold nor pain, but has just been shamming
sickness, to keep out of my way.'

I perceived plainly enough that Cousin Monica's damnatory epithet referred
to some retrospective knowledge, which she was not going to disclose to me.

'You knew Madame before,' I said. 'Who is she?'

'She assures me she is Madame de la Rougierre, and, I suppose, in French
phrase she so calls herself,' answered Lady Knollys, with a laugh, but
uncomfortably, I thought.