The earl drew the painter aside, and the countess, just laying her fingers on Stella's arm, guided her to the old countess of Longford.
"Mr. Etheridge's niece," she said; then, to Stella, "This is Lady Longford."
Stella was conscious of a pair of keen gray eyes fixed on her face.
"Glad to know you, my dear," said the old lady. "Come and sit beside me, and tell me about your uncle; he is a wonderful man, but a very wicked one."
"Wicked!" said Stella.
"Yes, wicked," repeated the old lady, with a smile on her wrinkled face. "All obstinate people are wicked; and he is obstinate because he persists in hiding himself away instead of coming into the world and consenting to be famous, as he should be."
Stella's heart warmed directly.
"But perhaps now that you have come, you will persuade him to leave his shell."
"Do you mean the cottage? I don't think anything would persuade him to leave that. Why should he? He is quite happy."
The countess looked at her.