y airs, or was so
careful as to the dyeing of his whiskers. It was astonishing that
Isabel should allow herself to be amused by such an antiquated
coxcomb. When they had finished eating they moved about and changed
their places, Mr. Boncassen being rather anxious to stop the flood of
American eloquence which came from his friend Mr. Gotobed. British
viands had become subject to his criticism, and Mr. Gotobed had
declared to Mr. Lupton that he didn't believe that London could
produce a dish of squash or tomatoes. He was quite sure you couldn't
have sweet corn. Then there had been a moving of seats in which the
minister was shuffled off to Lady Beeswax, and the poet found himself
by the side of Isabel. "Do you not regret our mountains and our
prairies," said the poet; "our great waters and our green savannahs?"
"I think more perhaps of Fifth Avenue," said Miss Boncassen.
Silverbridge, who at this moment was being interrogated by Sir
Timothy, heard every word of it.

"I was so sorry, Lord Silverbridge," said Sir Timothy, "that you
could not accede to our little request."

"I did not quite see my way," said Silverbridge, with his eye upon
Isabel.

"So I understood, but I hope that things will make themselves clearer
to you shortly. There is nothing that I desire so much as the support
of young men such as yourself,--the very cream, I may say, of the
whole country. It is to the young conservative thoughtfulness and the
truly British spirit of our springing aristocracy that I look for
that reaction which I am sure will at last carry us safely over the
rocks and shoals of communistic propensities."

"I shouldn't wonder if it did," said Silverbridge. They didn't think
that he was going to remain down there talking politics to an old
humbug like Sir Timothy when the sun, and moon, and all the stars had
gone up into the drawing-room! For at that moment Isabel was making
her way to the door.

But Sir Timothy had buttonholed him. "Of course it is late now to
say anything further about the address. We have arranged that. Not
quite as I would have wished, for I had set my heart upon initiating
you into the rapturous pleasure of parliamentary debate. But I
hope that a good time is coming. And pray remember this, Lord
Silverbridge;--there is no member sitting on our side of the House,
and I need hardly say on the other, whom I would go farther to oblige
than your father's son."

"I'm sure that's very kind," said Silverbridge,