Not until he had talked to the Duchess for some time did he discover that the hard-smitten child lying half-lifeless in her bed was the very young heroine of the quite favourite scandal.

The knowledge gave him furiously to think.

It was Coombe who had interested the Duchess in her.

The Duchess had no doubt taken her under her protection for generously benign reasons.

He pursued his questioning delicately.
"Has she had any young friends?
She seems to have taken her walks alone and even to have gone into the country by herself." "The life of the young people in its ordinary sense of companionship and amusement has been stopped by the War.