entleman, who
complimented him upon his excelling the Continental confectioner. Mr.
Beamish glanced at Chloe. He pursued his researches down at the Pump
Room, while she looked round the ladies' coffee house. Encountering
again, they walked back to the duchess's lodgings, where a band stood
playing in the road, by order of her Grace; but the duchess was away,
and had not been seen since her morning's departure.

'What sort of character would you give mistress Susan of Dewlap, from
your personal acquaintance with it?' said Mr. Beamish to Chloe, as they
stepped from the door.

Chloe mused and said, 'I would add "good" to the unkindest comparison
you could find for her.'

'But accepting the comparison!' Mr. Beamish nodded, and revolved upon
the circumstance of their being very much in nature's hands with Duchess
Susan, of whom it might be said that her character was good, yet all
the more alive to the temptations besetting the Spring season. He allied
Chloe's adjective to a number of epithets equally applicable to nature
and to women, according to current ideas, concluding: 'Count, they call
your Caseldy at his lodgings. "The Count he is out for an airing." He is
counted out. Ah! you will make him drop that "Count" when he takes you
from here.'

'Do not speak of the time beyond the month,' said Chloe, so urgently on
a rapid breath as to cause Mr. Beamish to cast an inquiring look at her.

She answered it, 'Is not one month of brightness as much as we can ask
for?'

The beau clapped his elbows complacently to his sides in philosophical
concord with her sentiment.

In the afternoon, on the parade, they were joined by Mr. Camwell, among
groups of fashionable ladies and their escorts, pacing serenely, by
medical prescription, for an appetite. As he did not comment on the
absence of the duchess, Mr. Beamish alluded to it; whereupon he was
informed that she was about the meadows, and had been there for some
hours.

'Not unguarded,' he replied to Mr. Beamish.

'Aha!' quoth the latter; 'we have an Argus!' and as the duchess was not
on the heights, and the sun's rays were mild in cloud, he agreed to
his young friend's proposal that they should advance to meet her. Chloe
walked with them, but her face was disdainful; at the stiles she gave
her hand to Mr. Beamish; she did not address a word to Mr. Camwell,
and he knew the reason. Nevertheless he maintained his air of soldierly
resignation to the performance of duty, and h