know, only lived
with his wife for one month."

"So I've been told."

"And a terrible month they had of it. I used to hear of it. He
doesn't look that sort of man, does he?"

"Well;--no. I don't think he does. But what sort of man do you mean?"

"Why, such a regular Bluebeard! Of course you know how he treated
another girl before he married Lady Alexandrina. She died of
it,--with a broken heart; absolutely died; and there he is,
indifferent as possible;--and would treat me in the same way
to-morrow if I would let him."

Johnny Eames, finding it impossible to talk to Miss Demolines about
Lily Dale, took up the card of the dinner and went to work in
earnest, recommending his neighbour what to eat and what to pass by.
"But you've skipped the pate?" she said, with energy.

"Allow me to ask you to choose mine for me instead. You are much more
fit to do it." And she did choose his dinner for him.

They were sitting at a round table, and in order that the ladies
and gentlemen should alternate themselves properly, Mr. Musselboro
was opposite to the host. Next to him on his right was old Mrs. Van
Siever, the widow of a Dutch merchant, who was very rich. She was
a ghastly thing to look at, as well from the quantity as from the
nature of the wiggeries which she wore. She had not only a false
front, but long false curls, as to which it cannot be conceived
that she would suppose that any one would be ignorant as to their
falseness. She was very thin, too, and very small, and putting aside
her wiggeries, you would think her to be all eyes. She was a ghastly
old woman to the sight, and not altogether pleasant in her mode of
talking. She seemed to know Mr. Musselboro very well, for she called
him by his name without any prefix. He had, indeed, begun life as a
clerk in her husband's office.

"Why doesn't What's-his-name have real silver forks?" she said to
him. Now Mrs. What's-his-name,--Mrs. Dobbs Broughton we will call
her,--was sitting on the other side of Mr. Musselboro, between him and
Mr. Crosbie; and, so placed, Mr. Musselboro found it rather hard to
answer the question, more especially as he was probably aware that
other questions would follow.

"What's the use?" said Mr. Musselboro. "Everybody has these plated
things now. What's the use of a lot of capital lying dead?"

"Everybody doesn't. I don't. You know as well as I do, Musselboro,
that the appearance of the thing goes for a great deal. Capital isn't
lying de