When she found an opportunity for intervention; when, with little or no trouble to herself, she could rearrange a scene or prepare a novel situation; so much the better was she pleased, and all the more disdain did she feel for the fussy, pompous mortals who were so easily manipulated.
At present she had her eyes upon a personage who amused her considerably.

He answered to the name of Dyce Lashmar, and fell under the general description of charlatan.

Not for a moment had Mrs.Toplady been in doubt as to this classification; but Dyce Lashmar was not quite an ordinary charlatan, and seemed to be worth the observing.

She meant to know him thoroughly, to understand what he really aimed at--whether he harboured merely a gross design on Lady Ogram's wealth, or in truth believed himself strong enough to win a place among those grave comedians who rule the world.

He was a very young man; he had not altogether got rid of youth's ingenuousness; if his ideas were his own (she doubted it) he had evidently a certain mental equipment, which would aid him--up to a certain point; in every case, he excelled in intellectual plausibility.