d so she stared hard at the occupant. The
occupant, in return, stared hard at the countess. The countess, who,
since her countess-ship commenced, had been accustomed to see all
eyes not royal, ducal, or marquesal fall before her own, paused as
she went on, raised her eyebrows, and stared even harder than before.
But she had now to do with one who cared little for countesses. It
was, one may say, impossible for mortal man or woman to abash Madeline
Neroni. She opened her large, bright, lustrous eyes wider and wider,
till she seemed to be all eyes. She gazed up into the lady's face, not
as though she did it with an effort, but as if she delighted in doing
it. She used no glass to assist her effrontery, and needed none. The
faintest possible smile of derision played round her mouth, and her
nostrils were slightly dilated, as if in sure anticipation of her
triumph. And it was sure. The Countess De Courcy, in spite of her
thirty centuries and De Courcy Castle, and the fact that Lord De
Courcy was grand master of the ponies to the Prince of Wales, had not
a chance with her. At first the little circlet of gold wavered in
the countess's hand, then the hand shook, then the circlet fell, the
countess's head tossed itself into the air, and the countess's feet
shambled out to the lawn. She did not, however, go so fast but what
she heard the signora's voice, asking:

"Who on earth is that woman, Mr. Slope?"

"That is Lady De Courcy."

"Oh, ah. I might have supposed so. Ha, ha, ha. Well, that's as good
as a play."

It was as good as a play to any there who had eyes to observe it and
wit to comment on what they observed.

But the Lady De Courcy soon found a congenial spirit on the lawn.
There she encountered Mrs. Proudie, and as Mrs. Proudie was not only
the wife of a bishop but was also the cousin of an earl, Lady De
Courcy considered her to be the fittest companion she was likely to
meet in that assemblage. They were accordingly delighted to see each
other. Mrs. Proudie by no means despised a countess, and as this
countess lived in the county and within a sort of extensive visiting
distance of Barchester, she was glad to have this opportunity of
ingratiating herself.

"My dear Lady De Courcy, I am so delighted," said she, looking as
little grim as it was in her nature to do. "I hardly expected to see
you here. It is such a distance, and then, you know, such a crowd."

"And such roads, Mrs. Proudie! I really wonder how the p