umoured tone, 'So, we are in for
umbrellas, we may as well go in for the whole firm!' caused the lights
to be lowered under pretext of his eyes--to conceal the lack of
teeth--did not absolutely refuse to let Nuttie take advantage of the
escort, and when Mr. Dutton did come to the anteroom of the apartment,
he was received with full courtesy, though Gregorio looked unutterable
contempt. Mr. Dutton was a man who could talk, and had seen a good
deal of the world at different times. Mr. Egremont could appreciate
intelligent conversation, so that they got on wonderfully well
together, over subjects that would have been a mere weariness to Nuttie
but for the exceeding satisfaction of hearing a Micklethwayte voice.
At last Mr. Dutton said something about offering his escort to the
ladies, or to Miss Egremont, who used, he said in a paternal way, to be
a little playfellow of his; Mr. Egremont really smiled, and said, 'Ay,
ay, the child is young enough to run after sights. Well, thank you, if
you are so good as to take the trouble, they will be very grateful to
you, or if her mother cannot go with her, there's the maid.'

Nuttie thought she had never known him so amiable, and hardly durst
believe her good fortune would not turn the wheel before morning. And
it so far did that her mother found, or thought she found, that it
would not do to be out of call, and sent the silent Martin in her
stead. But Mr. Dutton had set telegraphs to work and recovered the
bags, which Gregorio had professed to give up in despair.

A wonderful amount of lionising was contrived by Mr. Dutton, who had
lived a few years at Paris in early youth, and had made himself
acquainted alike with what was most worth seeing, and the best ways and
means of seeing it, so that as little time as possible was wasted on
the unimportant. It was one of the white days of Nuttie's life,
wanting nothing but her mother's participation in the sight of the St.
Michael of the Louvre, of the Sainte Chapelle, of the vistas in Notre
Dame, and of poor Marie Antoinette's cell,--all that they had longed to
see together.

She had meant to tell Mr. Dutton that it was all her father's
selfishness, but somehow she could not say so, there was something
about him that hindered all unbefitting outbreaks of vexation.

And thus, when she mentioned her disappointment at not being allowed to
go to Micklethwayte with her uncle, he answered, 'You could not of
course be spared with your fa