"You don't tell me the real secrets—what Lord Palmerston used to tell to Lady Palmerston!"
"How do you know what he used to tell her?" said Ashe, with a laugh. But his forehead had reddened.
"One hears—and one guesses—from the letters that have been published. Oh, I understand quite well! You can't trust me!"
Ashe turned aside and began to gather up his papers.
"Of course," said Kitty, a little hoarsely, "I know it's my own fault, because you used to tell me much more. I suppose it was the way I behaved to Lord Parham?"
She looked at him rather tremulously. It was the first time since her illness began that she had referred to the incidents at Haggart.
"Look here!" said Ashe, in a tone of decision; "I shall really give up talking politics to you if it only reminds you of disagreeable things."
She took no notice.
"Is Lord Parham behaving well to you—now—William?"
Ashe colored hotly. As a matter of fact, in his own opinion, Lord Parham was behaving vilely. A measure of first-rate importance for which he was responsible was already in danger of being practically shelved, simply, as it seemed to him, from a lack of elementary trustworthiness in Lord Parham. But as to this he had naturally kept his own counsel with Kitty.