Sir Charles eyed his friend in a sly, satirical manner; he then said,
laughingly: "In two months _she married a third!_ don't waste your
sympathy," and turned the talk into another channel; and soon after, Mrs.
Woffington's maid appearing at the door, she courtesied to both gentlemen
and left the theater. Sir Charles Pomander accompanied Mr. Vane a little
way.

"What becomes of her innocence?" was his first word.

"One loses sight of it in her immense talent," said the lover.

"She certainly is clever in all that bears upon her business," was the
reply; "but I noticed you were a little shocked with her indelicacy in
telling us that story, and still more in having it to tell."

"Indelicacy? No!" said Vane; "the little brute deserved it. Good Heavens!
to think that 'a little brute' might have married that angel, and
actually broke faith to lose her; it is incredible, the crime is diluted
by the absurdity."

"Have you heard him tell the story? No? Then take my word for it, you
have not heard the facts of the case."

"Ah! you are prejudiced against her?"

"On the contrary, I like her. But I know that with all women the present
lover is an angel and the past a demon, and so on in turn. And I know
that if Satan were to enter the women of the stage, with the wild idea of
impairing their veracity, he would come out of their minds a greater liar
than he went in, and the innocent darlings would never know their