What a piece of good fortune-what an extraordinary piece of kindness! She did not know what a source of entertainment she was to Lady Maria, and how the shrewd, worldly old thing liked her.

Lady Maria Bayne was the cleverest, sharpest-tongued, smartest old woman in London.

She knew everybody and had done everything in her youth, a good many things not considered highly proper.

A certain royal duke had been much pleased with her and people had said some very nasty things about it.

But this had not hurt Lady Maria.