married daughters. One dexterously
applied golden knitting-needles to the fabrication of a purse of floss
silk of the rarest texture, which none who knew the almost fabulous
wealth of the Duke would believe was ever destined to hold in its
silken meshes a less sum than L1,000,000; another adorned a slipper
exclusively with seed pearls; a third emblazoned a page with rare
pigments and the finest quality of gold leaf. Beautiful forms leaned
over frames glowing with embroidery, and beautiful frames leaned over
forms inlaid with mother-of-pearl. Others, more remote, occasionally
burst into melody as they tried the passages of a new and exclusive air
given to them in MS. by some titled and devoted friend, for the private
use of the aristocracy alone, and absolutely prohibited for publication.

The Duchess, herself the superlative of beauty, wealth, and position,
was married to the highest noble in the Three Kingdoms. Those who
talked about such matters said that their progeny were exactly like
their parents,--a peculiarity of the aristocratic and wealthy. They
all looked like brothers and sisters, except their parents, who, such
was their purity of blood, the perfection of their manners, and the
opulence of their condition, might have been taken for their own
children's elder son and daughter. The daughters, with one exception,
were all married to the highest nobles in the land. That exception was
the Lady Coriander, who, there being no vacancy above a marquis and a
rental of L1,000,000, waited. Gathered around the refined and sacred
circle of their breakfast-table, with their glittering coronets, which,
in filial respect to their father's Tory instincts and their mother's
Ritualistic tastes, they always wore on their regal brows, the effect
was dazzling as it was refined. It was this peculiarity and their
strong family resemblance which led their brother-in-law, the
good-humored St. Addlegourd, to say that, "'Pon my soul, you know, the
whole precious mob looked like a ghastly pack of court cards, you
know." St. Addlegourd was a radical. Having a rent-roll of
L15,000,000, and belonging to one of the oldest families in Britain, he
could afford to be.

"Mamma, I've just dropped a pearl," said the Lady Coriander, bending
over the Persian hearthrug.

"From your lips, sweet friend," said Lothaw, who came of age and
entered the room at the same moment.

"No, from my work. It was a very valuable pearl, mamma; papa g