t.'

'Ah! you admire her. And you have cause. No one can deny she is a fine
girl, and every one must regret, that with her decidedly provincial
air and want of style altogether, which might naturally be expected,
considering the rustic way I understand she has been brought up (an
old house in the country, with a methodistical mother), that she
should have fallen into such hands as her aunt. Lady ---- is enough to
spoil any girl's fortune in London.'

'I thought that the ---- were people of high consideration,' said Lord
Cadurcis.

'Consideration!' exclaimed Lady Monteagle. 'If you mean that they are
people of rank, and good blood, and good property, they are certainly
people of consideration; but they are Goths, Vandals, Huns, Calmucks,
Canadian savages! They have no fashion, no style, no ton, no influence
in the world. It is impossible that a greater misfortune could have
befallen your beauty than having such an aunt. Why, no man who has the
slightest regard for his reputation would be seen in her company. She
is a regular quiz, and you cannot imagine how everybody was laughing
at you the other night.'

'I am very much obliged to them,' said Lord Cadurcis.

'And, upon my honour,' continued Lady Monteagle, 'speaking merely as
your friend, and not being the least jealous (Cadurcis do not suppose
that), not a twinge has crossed my mind on that score; but still I
must tell you that it was most ridiculous for a man like you, to
whom everybody looks up, and from whom the slightest attention is
an honour, to go and fasten yourself the whole night upon a rustic
simpleton, something between a wax doll and a dairymaid, whom every
fool in London was staring at; the very reason why you should not have
appeared to have been even aware of her existence.'

'We have all our moments of weakness, Gertrude,' said Lord Cadurcis,
charmed that the lady was so thoroughly unaware and unsuspicious of
his long and intimate connection with the Herberts. 'I suppose it was
my cursed vanity. I saw, as you say, every fool staring at her, and
so I determined to show that in an instant I could engross her
attention.'

'Of course, I know it was only that; but you should not have gone
and dined there, Cadurcis,' added the lady, very seriously, 'That
compromised you; but, by cutting them in future in the most marked
manner, you may get over it.'

'You really think I may?' inquired Lord Cadurcis, with some anxiety.

'Oh! I have no doubt of it,