He rose.
"One minute," she said, turning eyes glistening with tears pleadingly upon him. "You have not told me what to do."
"The natural and proper thing," he replied, "is to keep her well in hand and then to trust her to her husband. The good husband is the best hierophant."
"Yes, I understand," said Mrs. Delarayne rising also.
"They master these things better on the Continent than we do in England," Lord Henry continued. "The young girl is carefully supervised, scrupulously watched, and a good husband is entrusted with the rest. That is by far the best."
"Yes," Mrs. Delarayne exclaimed, laughing in her old way for the first time that afternoon, "but then, you see, they happen to have the Continental husband to whom they can entrust the matter."
"True," Lord Henry replied. "Never mind. We must try to find her someone who is as like a Continental husband as possible."
"St. Maur is a most fascinating boy," Mrs. Delarayne observed.
"Ah—hands off Aubrey, at least for the present. He's not ripe yet," said Lord Henry; and in a moment he was gone.