Miss Lavinia laughed too, and a pretty pink colour came into her
wan cheeks.

"Naughty child, you are making fun of me!" she said--"What I meant
about the Duchess--"

Innocent stretched out her hand for the card of invitation and
looked at it.

"Well!" she said, slowly--"What about the Duchess?"

Miss Leigh hesitated.

"I hardly know how to put it," she answered, at last--"She's a
kind-hearted woman--very generous--and most helpful in works of
charity. I never knew such energy as she shows in organising
charity bails and bazaars!--perfectly wonderful!--but she likes to
live her life--"

"Who would not!" murmured the girl, scarcely audibly.

"And she lives it--very much so!--rather to the dregs!" continued
the old lady, with emphasis. "She has no real aim beyond the
satisfaction of her own vanity and social power--and you, with
your beautiful thoughts and ideals, might not like the kind of
people she surrounds herself with--people, who only want amusement
and 'sensation'--particularly sensation--"

Innocent said nothing for a minute or two--then she looked up,