I never have told, and never shall tell, all
the details as she told them to us. But we have let enough be known--"
"Enough?--enough to damn Madame d'Estrees?"
"Oh, well, as far as the women were concerned, she was mostly that
already. There are other tales going about. I expect you know them."
"No, I don't know them," said Ashe.
Lord Grosville's face expressed surprise. "Well, this finished it," he
said.
"Poor child!" said Ashe, slowly, putting down his cigarette and turning
a thoughtful look on the carpet.
"Alice?" said Lord Grosville.
"No."
"Oh! you mean Kitty? Yes, I had forgotten her for the moment. Yes, poor
child."
There was silence a moment, then Lord Grosville inquired:
"What do you think of her?"
"I?" said Ashe, with a laugh. "I don't know. She's obviously very
pretty--"
"And a handful!" said Lord Grosville.
"Oh, quite plainly a handful," said Ashe, rather absently. Then the
memory of Kitty's entry recurred to them both, and they laughed.
"Not much shyness left in that young woman--eh?" said the old man. "She
tells my girls such stories of her French doings--my wife's had to stop
it.
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