have amassed a large
fortune when my poor nephew will be a do-nothing old general on
half-pay. His chatter will not then have availed him quite so much as
your cousin's habits of business."

"Mamma," said Nina, "Jonathan will have money of his own."

"Never mind, my dear. I do not like to hear a young man called a lout
because he's more like a man of business than a man of pleasure."
Ayala felt herself to be snubbed, but was not a whit the less sure
that Tom was a lout, and the Colonel an agreeable partner to dance
with. But at the same time she remembered that neither the one nor
the other was to be spoken of in the same breath, or thought of in
the same spirit, as the Angel of Light.

When they were dressed, and just going to dinner, the ugly man with
the red head was announced, and declared his purpose of going with
them to the theatre. "I've been to the office," said he, "and got a
stall next to yours, and have managed it all. It now only remains
that you should give me some dinner and a seat in the carriage." Of
course he was told that there was no dinner sufficient for a man to
eat; but he put up with a feminine repast, and spent the whole of the
evening sitting next to his aunt, on a back tier, while the two girls
were placed in front. In this way, leaning forward, with his ugly
head between them, he acted as a running chorus to the play during
the whole performance. Ayala thoroughly enjoyed herself, and thought
that in all her experience no play she'd seen had ever been so
delightful. On their return home the two girls were both told to
go to bed in the Marchesa's good-natured authoritative tone; but,
nevertheless, Ayala did manage to say a word before she finally
adjusted herself on her pillow. "It is all very well, Nina, for your
mamma to say that a young man of business is the best; but I do know
a lout when I see him; and I am quite sure that my cousin Tom is a
lout, and that Colonel Jonathan is not."

"I believe you are falling in love with Colonel Jonathan," said Nina.

"I should as soon think of falling in love with a wild bear;--but
he's not a lout, and therefore I like him."

CHAPTER XVII.

LUCY IS VERY FIRM.

It was just before the Tringles had returned from Rome, during the
winter, that Lucy Dormer had met Mr. Hamel in Kensington Gardens for
the second time, had walked there with him perhaps for half-an-hour,
and had then returned home with a conviction that she had done a
wicked th