n his own matters, he listened
nearly in silence till they reached Burton Crescent.

"I hope you found the noble earl well," said Mrs Roper to him, as
soon as they were all seated at dinner.

"I found the noble earl pretty well, thank you," said Johnny.

It had become plainly understood by all the Roperites that Eames's
position was quite altered since he had been honoured with the
friendship of Lord De Guest. Mrs Lupex, next to whom he always sat at
dinner, with a view to protecting her as it were from the dangerous
neighbourhood of Cradell, treated him with a marked courtesy. Miss
Spruce always called him "sir." Mrs Roper helped him the first of the
gentlemen, and was mindful about his fat and gravy, and Amelia felt
less able than she was before to insist upon the possession of his
heart and affections. It must not be supposed that Amelia intended to
abandon the fight, and allow the enemy to walk off with his forces;
but she felt herself constrained to treat him with a deference that
was hardly compatible with the perfect equality which should attend
any union of hearts.

"It is such a privilege to be on visiting terms with the nobility,"
said Mrs Lupex. "When I was a girl, I used to be very intimate--"

"You ain't a girl any longer, and so you'd better not talk about it,"
said Lupex. Mr Lupex had been at that little shop in Drury Lane after
he came down from his scene-painting. "My dear, you needn't be a
brute to me before all Mrs Roper's company. If, led away by feelings
which I will not now describe, I left my proper circles in marrying
you, you need not before all the world teach me how much I have to
regret." And Mrs Lupex, putting down her knife and fork, applied her
handkerchief to her eyes.

"That's pleasant for a man over his meal, isn't it?" said Lupex,
appealing to Miss Spruce. "I have plenty of that kind of thing, and
you can't think how I like it."

"Them whom God has joined together, let no man put asunder," said
Miss Spruce. "As for me myself, I'm only an old woman."

This little ebullition threw a gloom over the dinner-table, and
nothing more was said on the occasion as to the glories of Eames's
career. But, in the course of the evening, Amelia heard of the
encounter which had taken place at the railway station, and at once
perceived that she might use the occasion for her own purposes.

"John," she whispered to her victim, finding an opportunity for
coming upon him when almost alone, "what