She had it from a lady who had come across Miss Asper at Lady Wathin's assemblies, and considered the great heiress extraordinarily handsome.
'A golden miracle,' Diana gave her words to say.

'Good looks and gold together are rather superhuman.

The report may be this time true.' Next afternoon the card of Lady Wathin requested Mrs.Warwick to grant her a private interview.
Lady Wathin, as one of the order of women who can do anything in a holy cause, advanced toward Mrs.Warwick, unabashed by the burden of her mission, and spinally prepared, behind benevolent smilings, to repay dignity of mien with a similar erectness of dignity.

They touched fingers and sat.

The preliminaries to the matter of the interview were brief between ladies physically sensible of antagonism and mutually too scornful of subterfuges in one another's presence to beat the bush.
Lady Wathin began.