duke advanced to offer
his arm to Miss Temple, Henrietta presented Ferdinand with a flower, as
if to console him for the separation. It was a round table; the duchess
and Lady Bellair sat on each side of Mr. Temple, the duke on the right
hand of Miss Temple; where there were so many members of the same
family, it was difficult to arrange the guests. Ferdinand held back,
when Count Mirabel, who had secured a seat by Henrietta, beckoned to
Ferdinand, and saying that Lady Bellair wished him to sit next to her,
pushed Ferdinand, as he himself walked away, into the vacated seat.
Henrietta caught the Count's eye as he moved off; it was a laughing eye.

'I am glad you sit next to me,' said Lady Bellair to the Count, 'because
you are famous. I love famous people, and you are very famous. Why don't
you come and see me? Now I have caught you at last, and you shall come
and dine with me the 7th, 8th, or 9th of next month; I have dinner
parties every day. You shall dine with me on the 8th, for then Lady
Frederick dines with me, and she will taste you. You shall sit next
to Lady Frederick, and mind you flirt with her. I wonder if you are as
amusing as your grandfather. I remember dancing a minuet with him at
Versailles seventy years ago.'

'It is well recollected in the family,' said the Count.

'Ah! you rogue!' said the little lady, chuckling, 'you lie! I like a lie
sometimes,' she resumed, 'but then it must be a good one. Do you know,
I only say it to you, but I am half afraid lies are more amusing than
truth.'

'Naturally,' said the Count, 'because truth must in general be
commonplace, or it would not be true.'

In the meantime, Ferdinand was seated next to Henrietta Temple. He might
be excused for feeling a little bewildered. Indeed, the wonderful events
of the last four-and-twenty hours were enough to deprive anyone of a
complete command over his senses. What marvel, then, that he nearly
carved his soup, ate his fish with a spoon; and drank water instead of
wine! In fact, he was labouring under a degree of nervous excitement
which rendered it quite impossible for him to observe the proprieties of
life. The presence of all these persons was insupportable to him. Five
minutes alone with her in the woods of Ducie, and he would have felt
quite reassured. Miss Temple avoided his glance! She was, in truth,
as agitated as himself, and talked almost entirely to the duke; yet
sometimes she tried to address him, and say kind things.