He  didn't  believe  in  it,  but  his  wife  did,  it  appeared
perfectly,  when  he  mentioned  this  conversation  while,
in  the  fashion  that  has  been  described,  the  visitors
dressed  for  dinner.  Mrs.  Coyle  had  already  discovered
that  nothing  could  have  been  nastier  than  Miss
Julian's  manner  to  the  disgraced  youth  during  the
half-hour  the  party  had  spent  in  the  hall  ;  and  it  was
this  lady's  judgement  that  one  must  have  had  no  eyes
in  one's  head  not  to  see  that  she  was  already  trying
outrageously  to  flirt  with  young  Lechmere.  It  was  a
pity  they  had  brought  that  silly  boy  :  he  was  down  in

265


OWEN   WINGRAVE

the  hall  with  the  creature  at  that  moment.  Spencer
Coyle's  version  was  different — he  believed  finer
elements  involved.  The  girl's  footing  in  the  house  was
inexplicable  on  any  ground  save  that  of  her  being
predestined  to  Miss  Wingrave's  nephew.  As  the
niece  of  Miss  Wingrave's  own  unhappy  intended  she
had  been  devoted  early  by  this  lady  to  the  office  of
healing  by  a  union  with  the  hope  of  the  race  the  tragic
breach  that  had  separated  their  elders  ;  and  if  in  reply
to  this  it  was  to  be  said  that  a  girl  of  spirit  couldn't
enjoy  in  such  a  matter  having  her  duty  cut  out  for  her,
Owen's  enlightened  friend  was  ready  with  the  argu
ment  that  a  young  person  in  Miss  Julian's  position
would  never  be  such  a  fool  as  really  to  quarrel  with  a
capital  chance.  She  was  familiar  at  Paramore  and
she  felt  safe  ;  therefore  she  might  treat  herself  to  the
amusement  of  pretending  she  had  her  option.  It  was
all  innocent  tricks  and  airs.  She  had  a  curious  charm,
and  it  was  vain  to  pretend  that  the  heir  of  that  house
wouldn't  seem  good  enough  to  a  girl,  clever  as  she
might  be,  of  eighteen.  Mrs.  Coyle  reminded  her
husband  that  their  late  charge  was  precisely  now  not  of
that  house  :  this  question  was  among  the  articles  that
exercised  their  wits  after  the  two  men  had  taken  the
turn  on  the  terrace.  Spencer  then  mentioned  to  his
wife  that  Owen  was  afraid  of  the  portrait  of  his  great-
great-grandfather.  He  would  show  it  to  her,  since  she
hadn't  noticed  it,  on  their  way  downstairs.
