and always lived
in the same sphere, that sphere being one peopled by duchesses and
countesses and gentlemen of fashion and ministers of state.

Lady Beaumaris was different from her sister almost in all respects,
except in beauty, though her beauty even was of a higher style than that
of Mrs. Rodney. Imogene was quite natural, though refined. She had a
fine disposition. All her impulses were good and naturally noble.
She had a greater intellectual range than Sylvia, and was much more
cultivated. This she owed to her friendship with Mr. Waldershare, who
was entirely devoted to her, and whose main object in life was to make
everything contribute to her greatness. "I hope he will come here next
week," she said to Endymion. "I heard from him to-day. He is at Venice.
And he gives me such lovely descriptions of that city, that I shall
never rest till I have seen it and glided in a gondola."

"Well, that you can easily do."

"Not so easily. It will never do to interfere with my lord's
hunting--and when hunting is over there is always something
else--Newmarket, or the House of Lords, or rook-shooting."

"I must say there is something delightful about Paris, which you meet
nowhere else," said Mr. Sidney Wilton to Endymion. "For my part, it has
the same effect on me as a bottle of champagne. When I think of what we
were doing at this time last year--those dreadful November cabinets--I
shudder! By the by, the Count of Ferroll says there is a chance of Lady
Montfort coming here; have you heard anything?"

Endymion knew all about it, but he was too discreet even to pretend to
exclusive information on that head. He thought it might be true, but
supposed it depended on my lord.

"Oh! Montfort will never come. He will bolt at the last moment when the
hall is full of packages. Their very sight will frighten him, and he
will steal down to Princedown and read 'Don Quixote.'"

Sidney Wilton was quite right. Lady Montfort arrived without her lord.
"He threw me over almost as we were getting into the carriage, and I
had quite given it up when dear Lady Roehampton came to my rescue. She
wanted to see her brother, and--here we are."

The arrival of these two great ladies gave a stimulant to gaieties which
were already excessive. The court and the ministers rivalled the balls
and the banquets which were profusely offered by the ambassadors and
bankers. Even the great faubourg relaxed, and its halls of high ceremony
and mysterious spl