"Very little, certainly!" he answered, smiling coldly—"I have lived a long time, and am not easily surprised!"
"Not even if it concerned some one you know?"
His fine open brow knitted itself in a momentary line of puzzled consideration.
"Some one I know?" he repeated—"Well, I should certainly be very sorry to hear anything of a scandalous nature connected with the girl we saw last night—she looked too young and too innocent—"
"Innocent—oh yes!" and Lady Blythe again laughed that harsh laugh of suppressed hysterical excitement—"She is innocent enough!"
"Pardon! I thought you were about to speak of her, as you said she was not what you expected—"
He paused,—startled by the haggard and desperate expression of her face.
"Richard," she said—"You are a good man, and you hold very strong opinions about truth and honour and all that sort of thing. I don't believe you could ever understand badness—real, downright badness—could you?"
"Badness? … in that child?" he exclaimed.
She gave an impatient, angry gesture.