; and, certainly, his calm and dignified demeanor, his polished
address, and cultivated tone, were excellent certificates of good
character for the rest.

At the tea-table the conversation languished, or only went forward at
intervals. Onslow's French was not fluent, and he was silent from
shame. Kate felt that she ought not to take the lead; and the Prince,
habitually reserved, spoke very little, and even that in the discursive,
unconnected tone of a man who was always accustomed to find that any
topic he started should be instantly adopted by the company.

The cold and steady stare with which he surveyed her would, but a short
time back, have covered her face with a blush; she could not have borne
unabashed the glance of searching, almost insolent meaning he bestowed
upon her; but now, whatever her heart might have felt, her features
were calm and passionless; nor did she in the slightest degree show any
consciousness of a manner that was costing Onslow a struggle whether to
laugh at or resent.

In one sense these two men were rivals, but each so impressed with
proud contempt for the other, their rivalry was unknown to both. Kate,
however, with her woman's tact, saw this, and knew well how her least
smile or slightest word inclined the balance to this side or to that.
The Prince was inveighing against the habit of wintering in Italy as one
of the most capital blunders of the age.

"We forget," said he, "that, in our present civilization, art is always
first and nature second, as we see evidenced in all the results of
agriculture. It is not the most fertile soil, but the highest-labored
one which produces the best fruits. So with respect to climate, we never
bear in mind that, where nature does most, man always does least."

"According to that rule, Prince, we should winter at St. Petersburg, and
spend the dog-days at Calcutta," said Kate, smiling.

"So we should," replied he; "the appliances to resist heat or cold, of
man's invention, are far better adapted to enjoyment than the accidental
variations of climate."

"In my country," said Onslow, tartly, "men study less how to avoid the
inclemencies of weather than to become indifferent to them. Hunting,
shooting, and deer-stalking are very sure methods to acquire this."

The Prince paid no attention to the remark, but turned the conversation
into another channel, by asking Kate if she had ever read Fourier's
book. From this he wandered away to the characteristic