she asked, and you won't
put me off with a cock-and-bull story like that." But then, as she
was going to ask the question, dinner was announced.

"And is it true that De Guest has been tossed by a bull?" said the
earl, as soon as the ladies were gone. He had spoken nothing during
dinner except what words he had muttered into the ear of Lady
Dumbello. It was seldom that conversation had many charms for him in
his own house; but there was a savour of pleasantry in the idea of
Lord De Guest having been tossed, by which even he was tickled.

"Only knocked down, I believe," said Crosbie.

"Ha, ha, ha!" growled the earl; then he filled his glass, and allowed
some one else to pass the bottle. Poor man! There was not much left
to him now in the world which did amuse him.

"I don't see anything to laugh at," said Plantagenet Palliser, who
was sitting at the earl's right hand, opposite to Lord Dumbello.

"Don't you?" said the earl. "Ha, ha, ha!"

"I'll be shot if I do. From all I hear De Guest is an uncommon good
farmer. And I don't see the joke of tossing a farmer merely because
he's a nobleman also. Do you?" and he turned round to Mr Gazebee, who
was sitting on the other side. The earl was an earl, and was also Mr
Gazebee's father-in-law. Mr Plantagenet Palliser was the heir to a
dukedom. Therefore, Mr Gazebee merely simpered, and did not answer
the question put to him. Mr Palliser said nothing more about it, nor
did the earl; and then the joke died away.

Mr Plantagenet Palliser was the Duke of Omnium's heir,--heir to
that nobleman's title and to his enormous wealth; and, therefore,
was a man of mark in the world. He sat in the House of Commons, of
course. He was about five-and-twenty years of age, and was, as yet,
unmarried. He did not hunt or shoot or keep a yacht, and had been
heard to say that he had never put a foot upon a race-course in his
life. He dressed very quietly, never changing the colour or form of
his garments; and in society was quiet, reserved, and very often
silent. He was tall, slight, and not ill-looking; but more than this
cannot be said for his personal appearance--except, indeed, this,
that no one could mistake him for other than a gentleman. With his
uncle, the duke, he was on good terms;--that is to say, they had
never quarrelled. A very liberal allowance had been made to the
nephew; but the two relatives had no tastes in common, and did not
often meet. Once a year Mr Palliser visited the duke