r old-lace frame, or say foliage) of the
Ages backward, temp: Ed: III. inflated him with a thought of her: and his
readings in modern books on heredity, pure blood, physical regeneration,
pronounced approval of Nesta Radnor: and thereupon instinct opened mouth
to speak; and a lockjaw seized it under that scowl of his presiding
mistrust of Nature.

He clung to his mistrust the more because of a warning he had from the
silenced natural voice: somewhat as we may behold how the Conservatism of
a Class, in a world of all the evidences showing that there is no stay to
things, comes of the intuitive discernment of its finality. His mistrust
was his own; and Nesta was not; not yet; though a step would make her his
own. Instinct prompting to the step, was a worthless adviser. It spurred
him, nevertheless.

He called at the Club for his cousin Southweare, with whom he was not in
sympathy; and had information that, Southweare said, 'made the girl out
all right.' Girls in these days do things which the sainted stay-at-homes
preceding them would not have dreamed of doing. Something had occurred,
relating to Major Worrell: he withdrew Miss Radnor's name, acknowledged
himself mistaken or amended his report of her, in some way, not quite
intelligible. Dudley was accosted by Simeon Fenellan; subsequently by
Dartrey. There was gossip over the latter gentleman's having been up
before the magistrate, talk of a queer kind of stick, and Dartrey said,
laughing, to Simeon: 'Rather lucky I bled the rascal';--whatever the
meaning. She nursed one of her adorations for this man, who had
yesterday, apparently, joined in a street-fray; so she partook of the
stain of the turbid defacing all these disorderly people.

At his hotel at breakfast the next morning, a newspaper furnished an
account of Captain Dartrey Fenellan's participation in the strife, after
mention of him as nephew of the Earl of Clanconan, 'now a visitor to our
town'; and his deeds were accordant with his birth. Such writing was
enough to send Dudley an eager listener to Colney Durance. What a people!

Mr. Dartrey Fenellan's card compelled Dudley presently to receive him.

Dartrey, not debarred by considerations, that an allusion to Miss Radnor
could be conveyed only in the most delicately obscure manner, spared him
no more than the plain English of his relations with her. Requested to
come to the Club, at a certain hour of the afternoon, that he might hear
Major Worrell's persona