"Which afterwards bleed inwardly?" She laughed. "No, no, I am not bleeding for Lady Henry. By-the-way, what news of her?"
"Sir Wilfrid told me to-day that he had had a letter. She is at Torquay, and she thinks there are too many curates at Torquay. She is not at all in a good temper."
Julie looked up.
"You know that she is trying to punish me. A great many people seem to have been written to."
"That will blow over."
"I don't know. How confident I was at one time that, if there was a breach, it would be Lady Henry that would suffer! It makes me hot to remember some things I said--to Sir Wilfrid, in particular. I see now that I shall not be troubled with society in this little house."
"It is too early for you to guess anything of that kind."
"Not at all! London is pretty full. The affair has made a noise. Those who meant to stand by me would have called, don't you think?"
The quivering bitterness of her face was most pitiful in Jacob's eyes.
"Oh, people take their time," he said, trying to speak lightly.