being filled by any newcomer; and was not, it is to be feared, at
sufficient pains to hide her feelings on the point. And the second Lady
Byrne was hardly to be blamed if she remembered that in a few years she
would have three daughters of her own to take out, and felt that a fourth
was almost too much of a good thing.

Besides, there was no getting over the fact that she was no relation
whatever, and was on the other hand a considerable drain on the family
resources, all of which Lady Byrne felt entirely equal to disbursing
alone and unassisted. Finally, her presence led to disagreements between
Sir Arthur and his wife.

The day came on which Lady Byrne could not resist drawing Juliet's
attention to her unfortunate circumstances. In a heated moment, induced
by the girl's refusal to meet her half-way when she was conscious of
having made an unusual effort to be friendly, she pointed out to Juliet
that it would be more becoming in her to show some gratitude to people on
whose charity she was living, and on whom she had absolutely no claim of
blood at all.

The interview ended by Juliet flying to Sir Arthur, and begging, while
she wept on his shoulder, to be allowed to go away and work for her
living; though where and how she proposed to do this she did not specify.

Sir Arthur had a bad quarter of an hour. His conscience, the knowledge of
the extent to which he shared his second wife's feelings, the remembrance
of the vows he had made on the subject to his first wife, these and the
old, if not very strong, affection he had for Juliet, combined to stir
in him feelings of compunction which showed themselves in an outburst of
irritability. He scolded Juliet; he blamed his wife.