his
head, and speaking with a loud harsh voice, to show them the way in
which he declared that that gentleman received his inferiors; and
then bowing and scraping and rubbing his hands together and simpering
with would-be softness,--declaring that after that fashion Sir Raffle
received his superiors. And they were very merry,--so that no one
would have thought that Johnny was a despondent lover, now bent on
throwing the dice for his last stake; or that Lily was aware that she
was in the presence of one lover, and that she was like to fall to
the ground between two stools,--having two lovers, neither of whom
could serve her turn.

"How can you consent to serve him if he's such a man as that?" said
Lily, speaking of Sir Raffle.

"I do not serve him. I serve the Queen,--or rather the public. I
don't take his wages, and he does not play his tricks with me. He
knows that he can't. He has tried it, and has failed. And he only
keeps me where I am because I've had some money left me. He thinks it
fine to have a private secretary with a fortune. I know that he tells
people all manner of lies about it, making it out to be five times
as much as it is. Dear old Huffle Snuffle. He is such an ass; and
yet he's had wit enough to get to the top of the tree, and to keep
himself there. He began the world without a penny. Now he has got a
handle to his name, and he'll live in clover all his life. It's very
odd, isn't it, Mrs. Dale?"

"I suppose he does his work?"

"When men get so high as that, there's no knowing whether they work
or whether they don't. There isn't much for them to do, as far as I
can see. They have to look beautiful, and frighten the young ones."

"And does Sir Raffle look beautiful?" Lily asked.

"After a fashion, he does. There is something imposing about such a
man till you're used to it, and can see through it. Of course it's
all padding. There are men who work, no doubt. But among the bigwigs,
and bishops and cabinet ministers, I fancy that the looking beautiful
is the chief part of it. Dear me, you don't mean to say it's luncheon
time?"

But it was luncheon time, and not only had he not as yet said a
word of all that which he had come to say, but had not as yet made
any move towards getting it said. How was he to arrange that Lily
should be left alone with him? Lady Julia had said that she should
not expect him back till dinner-time, and he had answered her
lackadaisically, "I don't suppose I shall be the