OnthefollowingdayafterlunchthePrimeMinistertookawalkwithLadyRosinaDeCourcy。HehadfallenintoahabitofwalkingwithLadyRosinaalmosteverydayofhislife，tillthepeopleintheCastlebegantobelievethatLadyRosinawasthemistressofsomedeeppolicyofherown。Forthereweremanytherewhodidintruththinkthatstatecraftcouldneverbeabsentfromaminister’smind，dayornight。ButintruthLadyRosinachieflymadeherselfagreeabletothePrimeMinisterbynevermakingthemostdistantallusiontopublicaffairs。ItmightbedoubtedwhethersheevenknewthatthemanwhopaidhersomuchhonourwastheHeadoftheBritishGovernmentaswellastheDukeofOmnium。Shewasatall，thin，shrivelled-upoldwoman，——notveryold，fiftyperhaps，butlookingatleasttenyearsmore，——verymelancholy，andsometimesverycross。Shehadbeennotablyreligious，butthatwasgraduallywearingoffassheadvancedinyears。TherigidstrictnessofSabbatarianpracticerequiresthefullenergyofmiddlelife。Shehadbeenleftentirelyaloneintheworld，withaverysmallincome，andnotmanyfriendswhowereinanywayinterestedinherexistence。
ButsheknewherselftobeLadyRosinaDeCourcy，andfeltthatthepossessionofthatnameoughttobemoretoherthanmoneyorfriends，oreventhanbrothersandsisters。’Theweatherisnotfrighteningyou，’saidtheDuke。Snowhadfallen，andthepaths，evenwheretheyhadbeenswept，werewetandsloppy。
’Weatherneverfrightensme，yourGrace。Ialwayshavethickboots，——Iamveryparticularaboutthat——andcorksoles。’
’Corksolesareadmirable。’
’IthinkIowemylifetocorksoles，’saidLadyRosinaenthusiastically。’ThereisamannamedSproutinSilverbridgewhomakesthem。DidyouGraceevertryhimforboots？’