-room, several paces in
front of Tristram and the others, and instantly came to her and
suggested a tour of the pictures. He quite agreed with the
financier--these long, narrow rooms were most useful!

And Zara, thankful to divert her mind, went with him willingly, and soon
found herself standing in front of an immense canvas given by the
Regent, of himself, to the Duke's grandfather, one of his great friends.

"I have been watching you all through dinner," Lord Elterton said, "and
you looked like a beautiful storm: your dress the gray clouds, and your
eyes the thunder ones--threatening."

"One feels like a storm sometimes," said Zara.

"People are so tiresome, as a rule; you can see through them in half an
hour. But no one could ever guess about what you were thinking."

"No one would want to--if they knew."

"Is it so terrible as that?" And he smiled--she must be diverted. "I
wish I had met you long ago, because, of course, I cannot tell you all
the things I now want to--Tristram would be so confoundedly
jealous--like he was this afternoon. It is the way of husbands."

Zara did not reply. She quite agreed to this, for of the jealousy of
husbands she had experience!

"Now if I were married," Lord Elterton went on, "I would try to make my
wife so happy, and would love her so much she would never give me cause
to be jealous."

"Love!" said Zara. "How you talk of love--and what does it mean?
Gratification to oneself, or to the loved person?"

"Both," said Lord Elterton, and looked down so devotedly into her eyes
that the old Duke, who was near, with Laura, thought it was quite time
the young man's innings should be over!

So he joined them.

"Come with me, Zara, while I show you some of Tristram's ancestors on
his mother's side."

And he placed her arm in his gallantly, and led her away to the most
interesting pictures.

"Well, 'pon my soul!" he said, as they went along. "Things are vastly
changed since my young days. Here, Tristram--" and he beckoned to his
nephew who was with Lady Anningford--"come here and help me to show your
wife some of your forbears." And then he went on with his original
speech. "Yes, as I was saying, things are vastly changed since I brought
Ethelrida's dear mother back here, after our honeymoon!--a month in
those days! I would have punched any other young blood's head, who had
even looked at her! And you philander off with that fluffy, little
empty-pate, Laura, and Arthur Elter