uld throw a fly over the table with
adroitness and effect. More than once during the dinner he whispered
to Lady Roehampton: "This is too kind--your coming here. But you have
always been my best friend." The dinner would have been lively and
successful even if Waldershare had not been there, but he to-day was
exuberant and irresistible. His chief topic was abuse of the government
of which he was a member, and he lavished all his powers of invective
and ridicule alike on the imbecility of their policy and their
individual absurdities. All this much amused Lady Montfort, and gave
Lord Roehampton an opportunity to fool the Under-Secretary of State to
the top of his bent.

"If you do not take care," said Mr. Neuchatel, "they will turn you out."

"I wish they would," said Waldershare. "That is what I am longing for.
I should go then all over the country and address public meetings. It
would be the greatest thing since Sacheverell."

"Our people have not behaved well to Mr. Waldershare," whispered Imogene
to Lord Roehampton, "but I think we shall put it all right."

"Do you believe it?" inquired Lady Montfort of Lord Roehampton. He had
been speaking to her for some little time in a hushed tone, and rather
earnestly.

"Indeed I do; I cannot well see what there is to doubt about it. We know
the father very well--an excellent man; he was the parish priest of Lady
Roehampton before her marriage, when she lived in the country. And we
know from him that more than a year ago something was contemplated. The
son gave up his living then; he has remained at Rome ever since. And
now I am told he returns to us, the Pope's legate and an archbishop _in
partibus_!"

"It is most interesting," said Lady Montfort. "I was always his great
admirer."

"I know that; you and Lady Roehampton made me go and hear him. The
father will be terribly distressed."

"I do not care at all about the father," said Lady Montfort; "but the
son had such a fine voice and was so very good-looking. I hope I shall
see him."

They were speaking of Nigel Penruddock, whose movements had been a
matter of much mystery during the last two years. Rumours of his having
been received into the Roman Church had been often rife; sometimes
flatly, and in time faintly, contradicted. Now the facts seemed
admitted, and it would appear that he was about to return to England not
only as a Roman Catholic, but as a distinguished priest of the Church,
and, it was said, even the