y, and told him to go back and
get his supper. As he opened the door to go Uncle Mo appeared, coming
along the Court. The sight of him was welcome to Aunt M'riar, who was
feeling very lonesome. And as for the old boy himself, he was quite
exhilarated. "Now we shall have those two young pagins back!" he said.

CHAPTER XXXII

WHY NOT KEEP COMPANY WHEN YOU HAVE A CHANCE? GUIZOT AND
MONTALEMBERT. MRS. BEMBRIDGE CORLETT's EYEGLASSES. KINKAJOUS. THE
PYTHON'S ATTITUDE. AN OSTRICH'S CARESS. HOW SIR COUPLAND MERRIDEW
CALLED ON LADY GWENDOLEN WITH A LETTER. ROYALTY. NECROSIS.
ILLEGIBILITY. SEPTIMIUS SEVERUS. HOW GWEN CALLED AGAIN IN SAPPS
COURT, AND KNOCKED IN VAIN. HOW OLD MRS. PRICHARD WAS SPIRITED AWAY
TO ROCESTERSHIRE, AND THOUGHT SHE WAS DREAMING

Mr. Percival Pellew and Miss Constance Smith-Dickenson had passed, under
the refining influence of Love, into a new phase, that of not being
formally engaged. It was to be distinctly understood that there was to
be nothing precipitate. This condition has its advantages; very
particularly that it postpones, or averts, family introductions. Yet it
cannot be enjoyed to the full without downright immorality, and it
always does seem to us a pity that people should be forced into Evil
Courses, in order to shun the terrors of Respectability. Why should not
some compromise be possible? The life some couples above suspicion
contrive to lead, each in the other's pocket as soon as the eyes of
Europe wander elsewhere, certainly seems to suggest a basis of
negotiation.

No doubt you know that little poem of Browning about the lady and
gentleman who watched the Seine, and saw Guizot receive Montalembert,
who rhymed to "flare"? Of course, the case was hardly on all fours with
that of our two irreproachables, but we suspect a point in common. We
feel sure that those lawless loiterers in a dissolute capital were
joyous at heart at having escaped the fangs of the brothers of the one,
and the sisters of the other, respectively, although at the cost of
having the World's bad names applied to both. In this case there were no
brothers on the lady's part, and only one sister on the gentleman's. But
Aunt Constance was not sorry for a breathing-pause before being
subjected to an inspection through glasses by the Hon. Mrs. Bembridge
Corlett, which was the name of the unique sister-sample, and herself
subjecting Mr. Pellew to a similar overhauling by her own num