to carry on the siege of the others;
for which they had ample opportunity, as the absences of the young
gentleman became longer, and the rumours of an attachment between him
and Miss Gryll obtained more ready belief.

CHAPTER XXVI.

DOUBTS AND QUESTIONS

(Greek passage)
AlCAEUS.

Bacchis! ''Tis vain to brood on care,
Since grief no remedy supplies;
Be ours the sparkling bowl to share,
And drown our sorrows as they rise.

Mr. Falconer saw no more of Miss Gryll till the party assembled in the
drawing-rooms. She necessarily took the arm of Lord Curryfin for dinner,
and it fell to the lot of Mr. Falconer to offer his to Miss Niphet, so
that they sat at remote ends of the table, each wishing himself in the
other's place; but Lord Curryfin paid all possible attention to his fair
neighbour. Mr. Falconer could see that Miss Gryll's conversation with
Lord Curryfin was very animated and joyous: too merry, perhaps, for
love: but cordial to a degree that alarmed him. It was, however,
clear by the general mirth at the head of the table, that nothing very
confidential or sentimental was passing. Still, a young lady who had
placed the destiny of her life on a point of brief suspense ought not to
be so merry as Miss Gryll evidently was. He said little to Miss Niphet;
and she, with her habit of originating nothing, sat in her normal state
of statue-like placidity, listening to the conversation near her. She
was on the left hand of _Mr. Gryll._ Miss Ilex was on his right, and
on her right was the Reverend Doctor Opimian. These three kept up an
animated dialogue. Mr. MacBorrowdale was in the middle of the table, and
amused his two immediate fair neighbours with remarks appertaining to
the matter immediately before them, the preparation and arrangement of a
good dinner: remarks that would have done honour to Francatelli.

After a while, Mr. Falconer bethought him that he would try to draw out
_Miss Niphet._'s opinion on the subject nearest his heart. He said to
her: 'They are very merry at the head of the table.'

_Miss Niphet._. I suppose Lord Curryfin is in the vein for amusing his
company, and he generally succeeds in his social purposes.

_Mr. Falconer._ You lay stress on social, as if you thought him not
successful in all his purposes.

_Miss Niphet._ Not in all his inventions, for example. But in the
promotion of social enjoyment he has few equals. Of cour