anger, and the
conversation became general, as though the stranger were a stranger
no longer. When Roden found that he was allowed to give his arm to
Lady Frances, and go out and eat his dinner quietly and comfortably
without any reference to the peculiarity of his position, he thought
that perhaps no further troubles were in store for him.

The whole of the next day was devoted to the charms of love and
scenery. The spring weather was delightful, and Roden was allowed to
ramble about where he pleased with Lady Frances. Every one about the
place regarded him as an accepted and recognized lover. As he had
never been in truth accepted by one of the family except by the girl
herself;--as the Marquis had not condescended even to see him when
he had come, but had sent Mr. Greenwood to reject him scornfully;
as the Marchioness had treated him as below contempt; as even his
own friend Lord Hampstead had declared that the difficulties would
be insuperable, this sudden cessation of all impediments did seem
to be delightfully miraculous. Assent on the part of Lord and Lady
Persiflage would, he understood, be quite as serviceable as that of
Lord and Lady Kingsbury. Something had occurred which, in the eyes of
all the family, had lifted him up as it were out of the gutter and
placed him on a grand pedestal. There could be no doubt as to this
something. It was all done because he was supposed to be an Italian
nobleman. And yet he was not an Italian nobleman; nor would he allow
any one to call him so, as far as it might be in his power to prevent
it.

His visit was limited to two entire days. One was passed amidst all
the sweets of love-making. With the pleasures of that no allusions
were allowed to interfere. On the following morning he found himself
alone with Lord Persiflage after breakfast. "Delighted to have had
you down here, you know," began his lordship. To this Roden simply
bowed. "I haven't the pleasure of knowing your uncle personally, but
there isn't a man in Europe for whom I have a higher respect." Again
Roden bowed. "I've heard all about this romance of yours from D'Ossi.
You know D'Ossi?" Roden declared that he had not the honour of
knowing the Italian Minister. "Ah; well, you must know D'Ossi, of
course. I won't say whether he's your countryman or not, but you must
know him. He is your uncle's particular friend."

"It's only by accident that I know my uncle, or even learnt that he
was my uncle."

"Just so. But