messenger, will you give mine?"

"That will depend altogether on its nature."

"Sir, I never send uncivil words to a woman, though sometimes I may be
tempted to speak them to a man; when, for instance, a man interferes
with me; do you understand? My message is this: Tell her ladyship, with
my compliments, that it will be better for her to see me--better for
her, and for me. When that poor lord died--and he had been, mind, my
friend for many years before her ladyship had heard his name--I was with
him; and there were occurrences of which you know nothing and need know
nothing. I did my best then to be courteous to Lady Ongar, which she
returns by shutting her door in my face. I do not mind that. I am not
angry with a woman. But tell her that when she has heard what I now say
to her by you, she will, I do not doubt, think better of it; and
therefore I shall do myself the honor of presenting myself at her door
again. Good-night, Mr. Clavering; au revoir; we will have another of
Stubbs' little dinners before long." As he spoke these last words the
count's voice was again changed, and the old smile had returned to his
face.

Harry shook hands with him, and walked away homeward, not without a
feeling that the count had got the better of him, even to the end. He
had, however, learned how the land lay, and could explain to Lady Ongar
that Count Pateroff now knew her wishes and was determined to disregard
them.

Chapter XXII

Desolation

In the meantime there was grief down at the great house of Clavering;
and grief, we must suppose also, at the house in Berkeley Square, as
soon as the news from his country home had reached Sir Hugh Clavering.
Little Hughy, his heir, was dead. Early one morning, Mrs. Clavering, at
the rectory, received a message from Lady Clavering, begging that she
would go up to the house, and, on arriving there, she found that the
poor child was very ill. The doctor was then at Clavering, and had
recommended that a message should be sent to the father in London,
begging him to come down. This message had been already despatched when
Mrs. Clavering arrived. The poor mother was in a state of terrible
agony, but at that time there was yet hope. Mrs. Clavering then remained
with Lady Clavering for two or three hours; but just before dinner on
the same day another messenger came across to say that hope was past,
and that the child had gone. Could Mrs. Clavering come over again, as
Lady Clavering