CHAPTER X.

เ THE CARADOC COLLECTION.'

'The first of all gospels is this, that a lie cannot endure for ever.'

CARLYLE.

'THE President and Council of the Devereux Club request the honour of the company of Mrs. Slingsby-Caradoc and friend, at a soirée in their rooms on Wednesday, June 17, at ten o'clock, to meet

'Oh, Juliet, Juliet! Her Royal Highness Princess Elizabeth is to be there! They have asked me to meet Princess Elizabeth! It is my "Cathedin" that has brought me this!' And, entirely overcome by her feelings, Mrs. Caradoc sank into a wide hospitablelooking armchair, and fanned herself with the large envelope which had held the card from which she had just been reading. 'I do call

this an honour!' she exclaimed, as soon as breath was restored to her. 'What would my poor dear Cradock have said? Well, he has gone where such honours can't reach him, but I should like him to know that they are reaching his widow. I must do something for these Devereux people in return. I tell you what, Juliet: they are quite sure to want as many good drawings for their soirée as they can get together. I will buy one-I will buy several-I will write to that Mr. Clifton who came here-you saw him, you know, Juliet, not I, but it's all the same thing. I will write to him and ask what kind of drawings they would be most proud of having to show on that occasion, and then I will go to a sale at Christie's and purchase one or two to lend them.'

'Oh, I don't think I would, aunt,' said Juliet, who foresaw that if her aunt wrote that letter she would infallibly discover that it was Mr. Congreve who had made the visit of inspection, and not Mr. Clifton.

And why wouldn't you? I want more good drawings myself. My gallery is now completed; you don't seem to remember that

the walls will have to be covered. Oh, Juliet, when they are! What a proud woman I shall be when my gallery is filled from one end to the other with great works, and the Caradoc Collection is a thing that must be seen! I shall never be really happy until it is as well known in other countries as in this. I must have Americans coming-I really must.' She went to her writing-table and began her letter, repeating the words as she wrote them :

"Dear Mr. Clifton, excuse my seeming to address you so familiarly, but since that day when you came to my house and took such a kind interest in my drawings, I have no longer been able to think of you as a stranger. That's rather well expressed, Juliet, isn't it? Don't go rustling your newspaper so; you scatter my ideas.' It was only too well expressed. was full of alarm. She had never dared to confess to her aunt that it was not Mr. Clifton who had called, and she dared not do so now.

Juliet

'Don't rustle that paper so,' said Mrs. Caradoc. 'What are you wanting to find in it, and why need you read papers? I can

tell you that there are many people who will not permit young girls even to touch a newspaper.'

'I am only looking to see if any nice sales are coming off at Christie's,' said Juliet nervously.

'I am much obliged for the invitation to the soirée of the Devereux Club, which I feel sure that your kindness has procured me,' wrote Mrs. Caradoc; and then once more she cried: 'Juliet, what a noise you are making! Do stop reading a minute. This letter is important, and I must have quiet till it is done. I have told Mr. Clifton that I am going to buy at least another good drawing on purpose to be able to send it there, so I think I may very fairly ask him to be so good as to go round the rooms with me when we are at the soirée--I must have someone with me to explain the pictures and the rest of the things. Put down that paper; you are crackling it again. By-the-bye, what do you

want with sales at Christie's?'

'I was thinking that it would be a rather nice way of doing what you want if you were not to write about the drawing, but to go and

If

buy really good one and send it to the Devereux as a loan for their soirée, without letting them know that it was yours. you did that, you would get a much better idea of its value, for everyone would say what he really thought about it; and then, you know, if they were all enthusiastic about its beauty, and full of curiosity and anxiety to discover who could have lent it to them, it would be so delightful to be able to step forward and say, "That drawing is mine!"' 'Oh, what a good idea!' exclaimed Mrs. Caradoc enthusiastically. It is yours; but

I like it immensely.'

'Only, if you

to Mr. Clifton.'

do that, you must not write

'No, I must not write; they must know nothing about my buying a drawing for them -nothing at all, so there's a penny saved towards the price of it. But, Juliet, I shouldn't like to buy an expensive drawing and then find it was a bad one; and, you see, my taste is not quite formed--I don't quite know which are good yet.'

There was something so pathetic in the look of helplessness and distress which