She was perfectly happy in her own married life, and she had the happily-married woman's desire to bring lovers together.

She had taken a prodigious fancy to Nelly.

While Captain Langrishe yet remained in England that house in the Bayswater square had an overwhelming attraction for Nelly.
She had gone there first under the Dowager's wing.

Cyprian Rooke, K.C., belonged to an unexceptionable family, and even the proud Dowager could find no fault with Nelly's friendship for his wife.
In those days poor Nelly used to feel a perfect monster of deceit.

For, first of all, she was deceiving her dear old father.