best course. Supposing that you were to tell her the story just as you
told it to me. It is just possible that her point of view might be mine.
She might regard Lawrence Mannering as a quixotic person, and endeavour
to persuade him that your claim was scarcely so binding as he seems to
imagine. In any case, I do not think that your story would prevent her
marrying him."

"Then all I can say is that she is a woman with a very queer sense of
right and wrong," Mrs. Phillimore declared, angrily.

Borrowdean smiled.

"A woman," he said, "who is fond of a man is apt to have her judgment
a little warped. The Duchess is a woman of fine perceptions and sound
judgment. But she is attracted by Lawrence Mannering. She admires him.
He is the sort of person who appeals to her imagination. These feelings
might easily become, if they have not already developed into, something
else. And I tell you again that I do not believe your story would stop
her from marrying him."

She leaned a little towards him.

"What would?" she asked, earnestly.

He hesitated.

"Well," he said, "I think I could tell you that!"

She held up her hand.