existence." John Eames turned away and shook his head. Nevertheless,
the words of his friend were grateful to him. The character of a Don
Juan was not unpleasant to his imagination, and he liked to think
that he might amuse Amelia Roper with a passing word, though his
heart was true to Lilian Dale. In truth, however, many more of the
passing words had been spoken by the fair Amelia than by him.

Mrs Roper had been quite as good as her word when she told Mrs Eames
that her household was composed of herself, of a son who was in an
attorney's office, of an ancient maiden cousin, named Miss Spruce,
who lodged with her, and of Mr Cradell. The divine Amelia had not
then been living with her, and the nature of the statement which she
was making by no means compelled her to inform Mrs Eames that the
young lady would probably return home in the following winter. A Mr
and Mrs Lupex had also joined the family lately, and Mrs Roper's
house was now supposed to be full.

And it must be acknowledged that Johnny Eames had, in certain
unguarded moments, confided to Cradell the secret of a second weaker
passion for Amelia. "She is a fine girl,--a deuced fine girl!" Johnny
Eames had said, using a style of language which he had learned since
he left Guestwick and Allington. Mr Cradell, also, was an admirer
of the fair sex; and, alas! that I should say so, Mrs Lupex, at
the present moment, was the object of his admiration. Not that he
entertained the slightest idea of wronging Mr Lupex,--a man who was a
scene-painter, and knew the world. Mr Cradell admired Mrs Lupex as a
connoisseur, not simply as a man. "By heavens! Johnny, what a figure
that woman has!" he said, one morning, as they were walking to their
office.