ttend. Mrs. Joseph Loveredge went alone, met there
various members of the British aristocracy. Mrs. Joseph Loveredge,
accustomed to friendship with the aristocracy, felt at her ease and was
natural and agreeable. The wife of an eminent peer talked to her and
liked her. It occurred to Mrs. Joseph Loveredge that this lady might be
induced to visit her house in Regent's Park, there to mingle with those
of her own class.

"Lord Mount-Primrose, the Duke of Warrington, and a few others will be
dining with us on Sunday next," suggested Mrs. Loveredge. "Will not you
do us the honour of coming? We are, of course, only simple folk
ourselves, but somehow people seem to like us."

The wife of the eminent peer looked at Mrs. Loveredge, looked round the
grounds, looked at Mrs. Loveredge again, and said she would like to come.
Mrs. Joseph Loveredge intended at first to tell her husband of her
success, but a little devil entering into her head and whispering to her
that it would be amusing, she resolved to keep it as a surprise, to be
sprung upon him at eight o'clock on Sunday. The surprise proved all she
could have hoped for.

The Duke of Warrington, having journalistic matters to discuss with
Joseph Loveredge, arrived at half-past seven, wearing on his shirt-front
a silver star, purchased in Eagle Street the day before for eight-and-
six. There accompanied him the Lady Alexandra, wearing the identical
ruby necklace that every night for the past six months, and twice on
Saturdays, "John Strongheart" had been falsely accused of stealing. Lord
Garrick, having picked up his wife (Miss Ramsbotham) outside the Mother
Redcap, arrived with her on foot at a quarter to eight. Lord
Mount-Primrose, together with Sir Francis Baldwin, dashed up in a hansom
at seven-fifty. His Lordship, having lost the toss, paid the fare. The
Hon. Harry Sykes (commonly called "the Babe") was ushered in five minutes
later. The noble company assembled in the drawing-room chatted blithely
while waiting for dinner to be announced. The Duke of Warrington was
telling an anecdote about a cat, which nobody appeared to believe. Lord
Mount-Primrose desired to know whether by any chance it might be the same
animal that every night at half-past nine had been in the habit of
climbing up his Grace's railings and knocking at his Grace's door. The
Honourable Harry was saying that, speaking of cats, he once had a sort of
terrier--when the door was thrown open and