his complexion and
a slight compression of his lip. "I thank you for your confidence in me.
All I ask is that you will not send this note till to-morrow. Allow me
to take my leave of you first, and to find in Mr. Linden a successor
rather than a rival."

"Your request, my friend," said La Meronville, adjusting her hair, "is
but reasonable. I see that you understand these arrangements; and, for
my part, I think that the end of love should always be the beginning of
friendship: let it be so with us!"

"You do me too much honour," said Borodaile, bowing profoundly.
"Meanwhile I depend upon your promise, and bid you, as a lover, farewell
forever."

With his usual slow step Lord Borodaile descended the stairs, and
walked towards the central quartier of town. His meditations were of no
soothing nature. "To be seen by that man in a ridiculous and degrading
situation; to be pestered with his d--d civility; to be rivalled by him
with Lady Flora; to be duped and outdone by him with my mistress!
Ay, all this have I been; but vengeance shall come yet. As for La
Meronville, the loss is a gain; and, thank Heaven, I did not betray
myself by venting my passion and making a scene. But it was I. who ought
to have discarded her, not the reverse; and--death and confusion--for
that upstart, above all men! And she talked in her letter about his eyes
and words. Insolent coxcomb, to dare to have eyes and words for one
who belonged to me. Well, well, he shall smart for this. But let me
consider: I must not play the jealous fool, must not fight for a ----,
must not show the world that a man, nobody knows who, could really
outwit and outdo me,--me,--Francis Borodaile! No, no: I must throw the
insult upon him, must myself be the aggressor and the challenged; then,
too, I shall have the choice of weapons,--pistols of course. Where shall
I hit him, by the by? I wish I shot as well as I used to do at Naples. I
was in full practice then. Cursed place, where there was nothing else to
do but to practise!"

Immersed in these or somewhat similar reflections did Lord Borodaile
enter Pall Mall.

"Ah, Borodaile!" said Lord St. George, suddenly emerging from a shop.
"This is really fortunate: you are going my way exactly; allow me to
join you."

Now Lord Borodaile, to say nothing of his happening at that time to be
in a mood more than usually unsocial, could never at any time bear the
thought of being made an instrument of convenience, pleasure, or g