would
bring him out!"

"No, no," exclaimed Dorothy hastily; "it might embarrass the Count."

"Pshaw! I'll ask the florist."

"No; that would offend the Count. You see, mamma, he thinks that we will
know without asking. He would hardly regard our ignorance as a
compliment," and Dorothy pouted. "You'd spoil everything."

Mrs. Hanway-Harley saw the force of this and yielded, though it cost her
curiosity a pang.

Dorothy's dearest friend was with them--a tall, undulating blonde, who
was sometimes like a willow and sometimes like a cat. When Mrs.
Hanway-Harley had left the room, and Miss Marklin and Dorothy were
alone, the former said firmly:

"Dorothy, who sent them?"

"Now, how should I know, Bess? You read the card."

"When a woman receives flowers, she always knows from whom," returned
this wise virgin oracularly.

"Well, then," said Dorothy resignedly, drawing the golden head of the
pythoness down until the small, pink ear was level with her lips, "if
you must know, let me whisper."

There are people who hold that everybody they do not understand is a
fool. There be others who hold that everybody who doesn't understand
them is a fool. Mrs. Hanway-Harley belonged to the former class, and not
making Richard out, she marked him "fool," and so informed Mr. Harley as
she penned the dinner invitation to Mr. Gwynn.

"Of course, we shall not ask this Mr. Storms to the dinner. He would be
misplaced by his years for one thing. Besides, I'm sure Mr. Gwynn
wouldn't like it. I saw enough of Mr. Storms to doubt if, in their own
house, he dines at the same table with Mr. Gwynn."

"At any rate," remarked the cautious Mr. Harley, "it's safe to leave him
out this time. We'll establish his proper level, socially, by talking
with Mr. Gwynn."

Mr. Gwynn came back from New York on Thursday afternoon. His traffic
with Talon & Trehawke was successful, and he had bought the _Daily
Tory_.

Richard was put in charge of the Washington correspondence. He was given
a brace of assistants to protect, as he said, the subscribers; for be it
known that Richard of the many blemishes knew no more of newspaper work
than he did of navigation.

Mr. Gwynn found Mrs. Hanway-Harley's dinner invitation awaiting him; it
was for the next evening. He brought it to Richard.

"You will go, Mr. Gwynn," said that gentleman. "I will consider; and
to-morrow I will tell you what you are to say."

Richard has been referred to as a soul of many blemis