e of Commons, only because I have never sat there.
Your character will be lost for ever." Lord Castlewell declared that
his character would be made for ever, as he had the great prima donna
of the next season at his left hand.

The dinner went off very pleasantly. Old Mrs. Peacock declared that
she had never known a prima donna before to be the daughter of a
Member of Parliament. She felt that great honour was done to the
profession.

"Why," said Lord Castlewell, "he is writing a book to prove that
nobody should pay any rent!"

"Oh!" said Mrs. Peacock, "that would be terrible. A landlord wouldn't
be a landlord if he didn't get any rent;--or hardly." Then Mr.
O'Mahony went to work to explain that a landlord was, of his very
name and nature, an abomination before the Lord.

"And yet you want houses to live in," said Lord Castlewell.

When they were in the middle of their dinners they were all surprised
by the approach of Mr. Mahomet M. Moss. He was dressed up to a degree
of beauty which Rachel thought that she had never seen equalled. His
shirt-front was full of little worked holes. His studs were gold and
turquoise, and those at his wrists were double studs, also gold and
turquoise. The tie of his cravat was a thing marvellous to behold.
His waistcoat was new for the occasion, and apparently all over
marvellously fine needlework. It might, all the same, have been
done by a sewing-machine. The breadth of the satin lappets of his
dress-coat were most expansive. And his hair must have taken two
artists the whole afternoon to accomplish. It was evident to see that
he felt himself to be quite the lord's equal by the strength of his
personal adornment. "Well, yes," he said, "I have brought Madame
Tacchi down here to show her what we can do in the way of a suburban
dinner. Madame Tacchi is about to take the place which Miss O'Mahony
has vacated at 'The Embankment.' Ah, my lord, you behaved very
shabbily to us there."

"If Madame Tacchi," said the lord, "can sing at all like Miss
O'Mahony, we shall have her away very soon. Is Madame Tacchi in
sight, so that I can see her?"

Then Mr. Moss indicated the table at which the lady sat, and with the
lady was Madame Socani.

"They are a bad lot," said Lord Castlewell, as soon as Moss had
withdrawn. "I know them, and they are a bad lot, particularly that
woman who is with them. It is a marvel to me how you got among them."

Lord Castlewell had now become very intimate with th