Constitution of their own country? He was annoyed beyond expression
that they had listened to him with so much patience.

And yet he could not have seriously offended them, for they had
earnestly besought him to dine with them on the following Tuesday
evening, to meet an American judge; and when he had consented Mrs.
Lorraine had written down on a card the date and hour, lest he should
forget. He had that card in his pocket: surely he could not have
offended them? If he had pursued this series of questions, he might
have gone on to ask himself why he should be so anxious not to have
offended these two new friends. He was not ordinarily very sensitive
to the opinions that might be formed of him--more especially by
persons living out of his own sphere, with whom he was not likely to
associate. He did not, indeed, as a general rule, suffer himself to
be perturbed about anything; and yet, as he went along the busy
thoroughfare at this moment, he was conscious that rarely in his life
had he been so ill at ease.

Something now occurred that startled him out of his reverie. Communing
with himself, he was staring blankly ahead, taking little note of
the people whom he saw. But somehow, in a vague and dreamlike way, he
seemed to become aware that there was some one in front of him--a
long way ahead as yet--whom he knew. He was still thinking of Mrs.
Lorraine, and unconsciously postponing the examination of this
approaching figure, or rather pair of figures, when, with a sudden
start, he found Sheila's sad and earnest eyes fixed upon him. He woke
up as from a dream. He saw that young Mosenberg was with her, and
naturally the boy would have approached Ingram, and stopped and
spoken. But Ingram paid no attention to him. He was, with a quick pang
at his heart, regarding Sheila, with the knowledge that on her rested