not necessary. You can go to Mount Street, and she will
be delighted. There is the card. And now we will smoke."

Harry felt that he could not, with good-breeding, detain the count any
longer, and, therefore, rising from his chair, led the way into the
smoking-room. When there, the man of the world separated himself from
his young friend, of whose enthusiasm he had perhaps had enough, and was
soon engaged in conversation with sundry other men of his own standing.
Harry soon perceived that his guest had no further need of his
countenance, and went home to Bloomsbury Square by no means satisfied
with his new acquaintance.

On the next day he dined in Onslow Crescent with the Burtons, and when
there he said nothing about Lady Ongar or Count Pateroff. He was not
aware that he had any special reason for being silent on the subject,
but he made up his mind that the Burtons were people so far removed in
their sphere of life from Lady Ongar, that the subject would not be
suitable in Onslow Crescent. It was his lot in life to be concerned with
people of the two classes. He did not at all mean to say--even to
himself--that he liked the Ongar class better; but still, as such was
his lot, he must take it as it came, and entertain both subjects of
interest, without any commingling of them one with another. Of Lady
Ongar and his early love he had spoken to Florence at some length, but
he did not find it necessary in his letters to tell her anything of
Count Pateroff and his dinner at the Beaufort. Nor did he mention the
dinner to his dear friend Cecilia. On this occasion he made himself very
happy in Onslow Crescent, playing with the children, chatting with his
friend, and enduring, with a good grace, Theodore Burton's sarcasm, when
that ever-studious gentleman told him that he was only fit to go about
tied to a woman's apron-string.

Chapter XV

Madame Gordeloup

On the afternoon of the day following his dinner at the Beaufort with
Count Pateroff Harry Clavering called on the Count's sister in Mount
Street. He had doubted much as to this, thinking at any rate he ought,
in the first place, to write and ask permission. But at last he resolved
that he would take the count at his word, and presenting himself at the
door, he sent up his name. Madame Gordeloup was at home, and in a few
moments he found himself in the room in which the lady was sitting, and
recognized her whom he had seen with Lady Ongar in Bolton Street. Sh