exterminated foibles a leisurely dignity now equally
extinct. Trimmers, time-servers, and hypocrites feared him, as thieves
fear an honourable dog; and none could quote his words against one
another. This would have made him unpopular now, when perjury means
popularity. For the present, however, self-respect existed, and no one
thought any the worse of his lordship for not having found him a liar.
Especially with ladies, who insist on truth in men as a pleasant proof
of their sex, Lord Southdown had always been a prime favourite, and an
authority largely misquoted. And to add to his influence, he possessed
a quick turn of temper, which rendered it very agreeable to agree with
him.

Lord Southdown was thinking, as he led Miss Darling to her chair at the
head of the table, that he never had seen a more pleasing young woman,
though he grieved at her taste in preferring the brown young man on her
left to his elegant friend Lord Dashville. Also he marvelled at hearing
so much, among the young officers of his acquaintance, concerning the
beauty of the younger sister, and so little about this far sweeter young
person--at least in his opinion. For verily Dolly was not at her best;
her beautiful colour was gone, her neck had lost its sprightly turn, and
her gray eyes moved heavily instead of sparkling. "That girl has some
burden upon her mind," he thought as he watched her with interest and
pity; "she has put on her dress anyhow, and she does not even look to
see who is looking at her!"

For the "Belle of all Sussex," as the young sparks entitled her, was
ill at ease with herself, and ready to quarrel with every one except
herself. She had conscience enough to confess, whenever she could not
get away from it, that for weeks and months she had been slipping far
and further from the true and honest course. Sometimes, with a pain like
a stitch in the side, the truth would spring upon her; and perhaps for a
moment she would wonder at herself, and hate the man misleading her. But
this happened chiefly when he was present, and said or did something to
vex her; and then he soon set it to rights again, and made everything
feel delightful. And this way of having her misgivings eased made them
easier when they came again with no one to appease them. For she began
to think of what he had done, and how kind and considerate his mind must
be, and how hard it must seem to mistrust him.

Another thing that urged her to keep on now, without ma