is moment. I will go farther still--I will promise that
I never will praise her to you till you begin to praise her to me.'

Lord Colambre smiled, and now listened, as if he wished that Grace
should go on speaking, even of Miss Broadhurst.

'That's my sweet Grace!' cried Lady Clonbrony. 'Oh! she knows how to
manage these men--not one of them can resist her!'

Lord Colambre, for his part, did not deny the truth of this assertion.

'Grace,' added Lady Clonbrony, 'make him promise to do as we would have
him.'

'No; promises are dangerous things to ask or to give,' said Grace. 'Men
and naughty children never make promises, especially promises to be
good, without longing to break them the next minute.'

'Well, at least, child, persuade him, I charge you, to make my gala
go off well. That's the first thing we ought to think of now. Ring the
bell! And all heads and hands I put in requisition for the gala.'

CHAPTER III

The opening of her gala, the display of her splendid reception-rooms,
the Turkish tent, the Alhambra, the pagoda, formed a proud moment
to Lady Clonbrony. Much did she enjoy, and much too naturally,
notwithstanding all her efforts to be stiff and stately, much too
naturally did she show her enjoyment of the surprise excited in some and
affected by others on their first entrance.

One young, very young lady expressed her astonishment so audibly as to
attract the notice of all the bystanders. Lady Clonbrony, delighted,
seized both her hands, shook them, and laughed heartily; then, as the
young lady with her party passed on, her ladyship recovered herself,
drew up her head, and said to the company near her--

'Poor thing! I hope I covered her little NAIVETE properly? How NEW she
must be!'

Then, with well-practised dignity, and half-subdued self-complacency
of aspect, her ladyship went gliding about--most importantly busy,
introducing my lady THIS to the sphynx candelabra, and my lady THAT to
the Trebisond trellice; placing some delightfully for the perspective of
the Alhambra; establishing others quite to her satisfaction on seraglio
ottomans; and honouring others with a seat under the statira, canopy.
Receiving and answering compliments from successive crowds of select
friends, imagining herself the mirror of fashion, and the admiration of
the whole world, Lady Clonbrony was, for her hour, as happy certainly as
ever woman was in similar circumstances.

Her son looked at her, and wished that thi