thinking of it. In a week or
two it was done. Who could expect that such an engagement should be
lasting?"

"And why not? That is nonsense, Lily. But we will not talk about it."

"Ah, but I want to talk about it. It was as I have said, and if so,
you shouldn't hate him because he did the only thing which he
honestly could do when he found out his mistake."

"What; become engaged again within a week!"

"There had been a very old friendship, Bell; you must remember that.
But I was speaking of his conduct to me, and not of his conduct to--"
And then she remembered that that other lady might at this very
moment possess the name which she had once been so proud to think
that she would bear herself. "Bell," she said, stopping her other
speech suddenly, "at what o'clock do people get married in London?"

"Oh, at all manner of hours,--any time before twelve. They will be
fashionable, and will be married late."

"You don't think she's Mrs Crosbie yet, then?"

"Lady Alexandrina Crosbie," said Bell, shuddering.

"Yes, of course; I forgot. I should so like to see her. I feel such
an interest about her. I wonder what coloured hair she has. I suppose
she is a sort of Juno of a woman,--very tall and handsome. I'm sure
she has not got a pug-nose like me. Do you know what I should really
like, only of course it's not possible;--to be godmother to his first
child."

"Oh, Lily!"

"I should. Don't you hear me say that I know it's not possible? I'm
not going up to London to ask her. She'll have all manner of grandees
for her godfathers and godmothers. I wonder what those grand people
are really like."

"I don't think there's any difference. Look at Lady Julia."

"Oh, she's not a grand person. It isn't merely having a title. Don't
you remember that he told us that Mr Palliser is about the grandest
grandee of them all. I suppose people do learn to like them. He
always used to say that he had been so long among people of that
sort, that it would be very difficult for him to divide himself off
from them. I should never have done for that kind of thing; should
I?"

"There is nothing I despise so much as what you call that kind of
thing."

"Do you? I don't. After all, think how much work they do. He used to
tell me of that. They have all the governing in their hands, and get
very little money for doing it."

"Worse luck for the country."

"The country seems to do pretty well. But you're a radical, Bell. My
belief is, you w