was so good of you to come, although your husband had Russian
influenza," remarked our host to ANNA KARENINA, who was seated on his
left.

"My dear friend," she replied, "I was only too delighted; for really
my husband cracks his finger-joints so much more lately, and it makes
me so nervous, that I often think, if it were not that Mr. WRONGSKY
sometimes calls on my day at home, I am sure I should be bored to
death!"

"Ah! I know what that is!" said HEDDA GABLER, nodding sympathetically.
"My husband, when he heard I wanted to come to-day, said 'Fancy that!'
and I really felt I could have thrown something at him. They are
so irritating," she added, with a glance at THERESE RAQUIN who was
sitting very silent at the other end of the table softly caressing a
fruit-knife.

"Ah!" sighed DORIAN GRAY, as he dipped his white taper fingers in a
red copper bowl of rose-water. "I have had an exquisite life. I have
drunk deeply of everything. I have crushed the grapes against my
palate. And it has all been to me no more than the sound of music. It
has not marred me. I am still the same. More so, if anything."

"I think we ought to understand one another, perhaps, Mr. GRAY,"
said ROBERT ELSMERE, with a quick sense of oppression. "I know your
opinions of course from your books. You know what mine as an honest
man must be. My conscience forbids me to discuss anything."

"My dear ELSMERE," returned DORIAN, "don't deceive yourself. Life is
not governed by Will or Intention. Life has been my Art. I have set
myself to music. My days have been my sonnets, and it has not hurt me.
I am as good-looking as ever." And with his cool, flower-like hands,
and his charming boyish smile, he lit a gold-tipped cigarette,
offering one to Princess NAPRAXINE.

She refused it, but produced a cigar-case, embroidered with the arms
of the NAPRAXINES, from which she took a very large cigar.

"I should like to take that fellow out on the river with me," muttered
one of the boating trio to his friends.

"And drown him," said another.

"Or set MONTMORENCY at him," said the third.

These Three Men, who, on their arrival, had been rather bashful, had
become, during the process of demolishing the Christmas pudding with
fire-brandy sauce, to which they helped themselves plentifully, the
most cheerful of all the company. They talked and laughed loudly,
alluded to Mr. ELSMERE as "Old Square-toes"; and made no more disguise
of the evident admiration with whi