and as no General can have concert with a fool, she cut him off from her
affections resolutely. Her manifest disdain at his last speech, said as
much to everybody present. Besides, the lady was in her element here,
and compulsion is required to make us relinquish our element. Lady
Jocelyn certainly had not expressly begged of her to remain: the Countess
told Melville so, who said that if she required such an invitation she
should have it, but that a guest to whom they were so much indebted, was
bound to spare them these formalities.

'What am I to do?'

The Countess turned piteously to the diplomatist's wife.

She answered, retiringly: 'Indeed I cannot say.'

Upon this, the Countess accepted Melville's arm, and had some thoughts of
punishing the woman.

They were seen parading the lawn. Mr. George Uplift chuckled singularly.

'Just the old style,' he remarked, but corrected the inadvertence with a
'hem!' committing himself more shamefully the instant after. 'I'll wager
she has the old Dip. down on his knee before she cuts.'

'Bet can't be taken,' observed Sir John Loring. 'It requires a spy.'

Harry, however, had heard the remark, and because he wished to speak to
her, let us hope, and reproach her for certain things when she chose to
be disengaged, he likewise sallied out, being forlorn as a youth whose
sweet vanity is much hurt.