at they
had no eyes for her. One of them at length replied, with something like
solemnity: "Oh, I understand what you mean, Contessa; anybody but you
would have to abdicate." "But not you," said another, who had some
kindness in his heart. The Contessa rose up with an air of triumph. "I
do not want to be compelled," she said, "I told you. I give up. I will
take your arm Mr. St. John, as a private person, having relinquished my
claims, and leave milord to the new _regime_."

This was how it came about, in the slight scuffle caused by the sudden
change of programme, that Bice, in all her splendour, found herself
going in to the dining-room on Lord Montjoie's arm. Notwithstanding that
he had been struck dumb by her beauty, little Montjoie was by no means
happy when this wonderful good fortune fell upon him. He would have
preferred to gaze at her from the other side of the table: on the whole,
he would have been a great deal more at his ease with the Contessa. He
would have asked her a hundred questions about this wonderful beauty;
but the beauty herself rather frightened the young man. Presently,
however, he regained his courage, and as lack of boldness was not his
weak point, soon began to lose the sense of awe which had been so strong
upon him. She smiled; she was as ready to talk as he was, as the
overwhelming impression she had made upon him began to be modified by
familiarity. "I suppose," he said, when he had reached this point, "that
you arrived to-day?" And then, after a pause, "You speak English?" he
added, in a hesitating tone. She received this question with so merry a
laugh that he was quite encouraged.

"Always," she said, "since I was a child. Was that why you were afraid
of me?"

"Afraid?" he said; and then he looked at her almost with a recurrence of
his first fright, till her laugh reassured him. "Yes I was frightened,"
Lord Montjoie said; "you looked so--so--don't you know? I was struck all
of a heap. I suppose you came to-day? We were all on the outlook from
something the Contessa said. You must be clever to get in without
anybody seeing you."

"I was far more clever than that," said Bice; "you don't know how clever
I am."

"I dare say," said Lord Montjoie, admiringly, "because you don't want
it. That's always the way."

"I am so clever that I have been here all the time," said Bice, with
another laugh so joyous,--"so jolly," Montjoie said, that his terrors
died away. But his surprise took anothe