"Oh yes;—more than once if I remember right. He was here yesterday at any rate."
"He comes often to you then?"
"Not so often as I would wish, Lady Glencora. The Duke is one of my dearest friends."
"It has been a quick friendship."
"Yes;—a quick friendship," said Madame Goesler. Then there was a pause for some moments which Madame Goesler was determined that she would not break. It was clear to her now on what ground Lady Glencora had come to her, and she was fully minded that if she could bear the full light of the god himself in all his glory, she would not allow herself to be scorched by any reflected heat coming from the god's niece. She thought she could endure anything that Lady Glencora might say; but she would wait and hear what might be said.
"I think, Madame Goesler, that I had better hurry on to my subject at once," said Lady Glencora, almost hesitating as she spoke, and feeling that the colour was rushing up to her cheeks and covering her brow. "Of course what I have to say will be disagreeable. Of course I shall offend you. And yet I do not mean it."
"I shall be offended at nothing, Lady Glencora, unless I think that you mean to offend me."
"I protest that I do not. You have seen my little boy."
"Yes, indeed. The sweetest child! God never gave me anything half so precious as that."
"He is the Duke's heir."