Christian names, setting a number of social rules at
defiance, discussing books, making the fame of artists, and, now and
then, influencing politics, were certainly helping to bring the new
world to birth. Their foes called them "The Archangels," and they
themselves had accepted the name with complacency.

Kitty, of course, was an Archangel, so was Mrs. Alcot. Cliffe had
belonged to them before his travels began. Louis Harman was more or less
of their tribe, and Lady Tranmore, though not herself an Archangel,
entertained the set in London and in the country. Like various older
women connected with the group, she was not of them, but she "harbored"
them.

Darrell was well aware that he did not belong to them, though personally
he was acquainted with almost all the members of the group. He was not
completely indifferent to his exclusion; and this fact annoyed him more
than the exclusion itself.

He had scarcely finished his inspection of the print when the door again
opened and Geoffrey Cliffe entered. Darrell had not yet seen him since
his return and since his attack on the government had made him the hero
of the hour. Of the newspaper success Darrell was no less jealous and
contemptuous than Lady Tranmore, though for quite other reasons. But he
knew better than she the intellectual quality of the man, and his
disdain for the journalist was tempered by his considerable though
reluctant respect for the man of letters.

They greeted each other coolly, while Cliffe, not seeing his hostess,
looked round him with annoyance.

"Well, we shall probably entertain each other," said Darrell, as they
sat down. "Lady Kitty often forgets her engagements."

"Does she?" said Cliffe, coldly, pretending to glance through a book
beside him. It touched his vanity that his hostess was not present, and
still more that Darrell should suppose him a person to be forgotten.
Darrell, however, who had no mind for any discomfort that might be
avoided, made a few dexterous advances, Cliffe's brow relaxed, and they
were soon in conversation.

The position of the ministry naturally presented itself as a topic. Two
or three retirements were impending, the whole position was precarious.
Would the cabinet be reconstructed without a dissolution, or must there
be an appeal to the country?

Cliffe was passionately in favor of the latter course. The party
fortunes could not possibly be retrieved without a general shuffling of
the cards, and an oppor