ittle when he took Philip's hand and
exchanged with him the commonplaces of the evening. But before this he
had to wait a moment, for he was preceded by an important personage. A
dapper little figure, trim, neat, at the moment drew himself up before
Mrs. Mavick, brought his heels together with a click, and made a low
bow. Doubtless this was the French count. Mrs. Mavick was radiant.
Philip had never seen her in such spirits or so fascinating in manner.

"It is a great honor, count."

"It ees to me," said the count, with a marked accent; "I assure you
it is like Paris in ze time of ze monarchy. Ah, ze Great Republic,
madame--so it was in France in ze ancien regime. Ah, mademoiselle!
Permit me," and he raised her hand to his lips; "I salute--is it not"
(turning to Mrs. Mavick)--"ze princess of ze house?"

The next man who shook hands with the host, and then stood in an easy
attitude before the hostess, attracted Philip's attention strongly, for
he fancied from the deference shown him it must be the lord of whom he
had heard. He was a short, little man, with heavy limbs and a clumsy
figure, reddish hair, very thin on the crown, small eyes that were not
improved in expression by white eyebrows, a red face, smooth shaven and
freckled. It might have been the face of a hostler or a billiard-marker.

"I am delighted, my lord, that you could make room in your engagements
to come."

"Ah, Mrs. Mavick, I wouldn't have missed it," said my lord, with easy
assurance; "I'd have thrown over anything to have come. And, do you
know" (looking about him coolly), "it's quite English, 'pon my honor,
quite English--St. James and that sort of thing."

"You flatter me, my lord," replied the lady of the house, with a winning
smile.

"No, I do assure you, it's bang-up. Ah, Miss Mavick, delighted,
delighted. Most charming. Lucky for me, wasn't it? I'm just in time."

"You've only recently come over, Lord Montague?" asked Evelyn.

"Been here before--Rockies, shooting, all that. Just arrived
now--beastly trip, beastly."

"And so you were glad to land?"

"Glad to land anywhere. But New York suits me down to the ground. It
goes, as you say over here. You know Paris?"

"We have been in Paris. You prefer it?"

"For some thing. Paris as it was in the Empire. For sport, no. For
horses, no. And" (looking boldly into her face) "when you speak of
American women, Paris ain't in it, as you say over here."

And the noble lord, instead of passing