r.

"Everybody has sworn to be as tiresome and disagreeable as possible
to-day," said Lady Hester. "George said he'd dine here, and is
not coming; Lord Norwood promised, and now writes me word that an
unavoidable delay detains him; and here comes Miss Dalton, the mirror
of punctuality when all else are late, a full half-hour after the time.
There, dear, no excuses nor explanations about all you have been doing,
the thousand calls you 've made, and shops you 've ransacked. I 'm
certain you 've had a miserable day of it."

Kate blushed deeply, and dreaded to meet Jekyl' s eye; but when she
did, that little glassy orb was as blandly meaningless as any that ever
rattled in the head of a Dutch doll. Even as he gave his arm to lead
her in to dine, nothing in his manner or look betrayed anything like a
secret understanding between them. A bystander might have deemed him a
new acquaintance.

"Petits diners" have, generally, the prerogative of agreeability; they
are the chosen reunions of a few intimates, who would not dilute their
pleasantry even by a single bore. They are also the bright occasions for
those little culinary triumphs which never can be attempted in a wider
sphere. Epigrams, whether of lamb or language, require a select and
special jury to try them; but just in the same proportion as the success
of such small parties is greater, so is their utter failure, when by any
mischance there happens a breakdown in the good spirits or good humor of
the company.

We have said enough to show that the ladies, at least, might be excused
for not displaying those thousand attractions of conversation which all
centre on the one great quality, ease of mind. The Prince was more than
usual out of sorts, a number of irritating circumstances having occurred
to him during the morning. A great sovereign, on whom he had lavished
the most profuse attentions, had written him a letter of thanks, through
his private secretary, enclosing a snuff-box, instead of sending him
an autograph, and the first class of the national order. His glover, in
Paris, had forgotten to make his right hand larger than the left, and a
huge packet that had just arrived was consequently useless. His chef
had eked out a salmi of ortolans by a thrush; and it was exactly that
unlucky morsel the Cardinal had helped himself to at breakfast, and
immediately sent his plate away in disappointment. Rubion, too, his
ninth secretary, had flatly refused to marry a little d