f the ball, he came to her with a highflown compliment, and a
request to be once more allowed to waltz with her--a request to which
he expected a favourable answer, thinking, no doubt, that his wit, his
powers of conversation, and the amour qui flambait dans son regard, had
had their effect upon the charming Meess. Perhaps he had a copy of the
very verses in his breast-pocket, with which he intended to complete his
work of fascination. For her sake alone, he had been heard to say that
he would enter into a truce with England, and forget the hereditary
wrongs of his race.

But the blanche Miss on this evening declined to waltz with him. His
compliments were not of the least avail. He retired with them and his
unuttered verses in his crumpled bosom. Miss Newcome only danced in one
quadrille with Lord Kew, and left the party quite early, to the despair
of many of the bachelors, who lost the fairest ornament of their ball.

Lord Kew, however, had been seen walking with her in public, and
particularly attentive to her during her brief appearance in the
ballroom; and the old Dowager, who regularly attended all places of
amusement, and was at twenty parties and six dinners the week before she
died, thought fit to be particularly gracious to Madame d'Ivry upon this
evening, and, far from shunning the Duchesse's presence or being rude
to her, as on former occasions, was entirely smiling and good-humoured.
Lady Kew, too, thought there had been a reconciliation between Ethel
and her cousin. Lady Anne had given her mother some account of the
handshaking. Kew's walk with Ethel, the quadrille which she had danced
with him alone, induced the elder lady to believe that matters had been
made up between the young people.

So, by way of showing the Duchesse that her little shot of the morning
had failed in its effect, as Frank left the room with his cousin, Lady
Kew gaily hinted, "that the young earl was aux petits soins with Miss
Ethel; that she was sure her old friend, the Duc d'Ivry, would be glad
to hear that his godson was about to range himself. He would settle down
on his estates. He would attend to his duties as an English peer and a
country gentleman. We shall go home," says the benevolent Countess, "and
kill the veau gras, and you shall see our dear prodigal will become a
very quiet gentleman."

The Duchesse said, "my Lady Kew's plan was most edifying. She was
charmed to hear that Lady Kew loved veal; there were some who thou