"Then I hope you liked him," he said, mercilessly; for there was no
time for mercy; some idiot of a dancing-man would come and take her
from him the next minute. "I express the hope, because I myself like
and admire him very much indeed. He is a splendid fellow, and one of
those instances of a good man struggling with adversity. Are you fond
of poetry, Miss Heron?"

Ida's bosom was heaving, she was fighting for calm. She knew now who it
was with whom she was speaking; it was the friend, the cynical Mr.
Howard, of whom Stafford had told her; she had not caught his name at
the introduction. She regarded him with intense interest, and inclined
her head by way of assent.

"I never think of my friend, Lord Highcliffe, without recalling those
significant lines of William Watson's." He looked at her; and be it
said that his eyes were fine and impressive ones when he showed them
plainly. "These are the lines:

"'I do not ask to have my fill
Of wine, of love, or fame.
I do not for a little ill
Against the gods exclaim.

"'One boon of fortune I implore,
With one petition kneel:
_At least caress me not before
Thou break me on thy wheel_!'"

Her lip quivered and her long lashes concealed her eyes.

"They are fine lines," she said.

"They fit my friend Lord Highcliffe's case to a T. He was for a time
the spoiled darling of fortune; she caressed him as she caresses few
men--and now she is breaking him on her wheel; and the caresses, of
course, make the breaking all the harder to bear. He writes most
interesting letters--I don't know whether you care about farming and
cattle-raising and that kind of thing; for my own part I am sublimely
ignorant of such matters. I can lay my hand upon my heart and say I
know a cow from a horse, but nothing shall induce me to go further. If
you are interested, I would venture to offer to show you one of his
letters; there is nothing in them of a private character."

Her heart beat still more quickly; he saw the eager light flash in her
eyes; and his hand went to his breast coat-pocket; then he said,
blandly:

"I will bring one next time we meet. Are you going--where are you going
to-morrow, Miss Heron? I, too, shall be going there probably?"

She put her hand to her lips with a little nervous gesture: she was
disappointed, she thought he was going to show her a letter, then and
there.

"I am going to Lady Fitzharford's to-morrow afternoon to try over some
m