"Years ago I was here; but not in the society. I knew only the artists, and that Bohemian class who live with artists," said he, quite easily. "Perhaps I might have the same difficulty still, but Baron de Limayrac and I served together in Africa, and he has been kind enough to present me to some of his friends."

The unaffected tone and the air of goodbreeding with which these few words were uttered, went far to conciliate Lady Augusta in his favour; and after some further talk together she left him, promising, at some later period of the evening, to rejoin him and tell him something of the people who were there.

this one's health or that one's temper, as though of these was that world they be longed to made up and fashioned. And all this while Marion stood by mute_and_pale with anger, for she knew well how Lady Augusta was intentionally dwelling on a theme she could have no part in. It was with a marked change of manner, so marked as to imply a sudden rush of consciousness, that Lady Augusta, turning to her, said,

"And how do you like Rome?"

A faint motion of the eyelids, and a halfgesture with the shoulders, seeming to express something like indifference, was the reply.

"I believe all English begin in that way. It is a place to grow into its ways, its hours, its topics are all its own." "I call it charming," said Lord Culduff,

"Do you know, cara, that he is downright charming?" whispered she to her sister as they walked together through the rooms. "Of course I mean Pracontal. He is very witty, and not in the least ill-who felt appealed to. natured. I'm so sorry the Culduffs have not come. I'd have given anything to present Pracontal to his cousin - if she be his cousin. Oh, here they are; and isn't she splendid in pearls?"

"If you stand long on the brink here," resumed she, "like a timid bather, you'll not have courage to plunge in. You must go at it at once, for there are scores of things will scare you, if you only let them."

fashion.

Lord and Lady Culduff moved up the salon as might a prince and princess royal, Marion stood impassive and fixed, as acknowledging blandly, but condescending- though she heard but did not heed what ly, the salutations that met them. Know- was said, while Lord Culduff smiled his aping and known to every one, they distribut-proval and nodded his assent in most urbane ed the little graceful greetings with that graduated benignity great people, or would- "What if you came and dined here tobe great people for they are more alike morrow, Marion? My sister is wonderfully than is generally believed, so well under-well up' in the place. I warn you as to her execrable dinner; for her cook is Italian, pur sang, and will poison you with his national dishes; but we'll be en petit comité."

stand.

"I think we have something for to-morrow," said Marion, coldly, and looking to Lord Culduff.

"To-morrow - Thursday, Thursday?" said he, hesitating. "I can't remember any engagement for Thursday."

There is something, I'm sure," said Marion, in the same cold tone.

Although Lady Augusta and Lady Culduff had exchanged cards, they had not yet met at Rome, and now, as the proud peer moved along triumphant in the homage rendered to his own claims and to his wife's beauty, Lady Augusta stepped quietly forward, and in a tone familiarly easy said, "Oh, we've met at last, Marion. Pray make me known to Lord Culduff." In the little act of recognition which now passed between these two people, an acute observer might have detected something almost bordering on freemasonry. They were of the same "order," and, though the circumstances under which they met left much to explain, there was that between them which plainly said, "We at least play on the square' with each other. We are within "I've made a little dinner for you for the pale, and scores of little misunderstand- Friday," said Lady Augusta to her sister. ings that might serve to separate or estrange" The Culduffs and Monsignore Battimeaner folk, with us can wait for their ex- that, with Tonino and ourselves, will be planations." They chatted away pleasantly six; and I'll think of another; we can't be for some minutes over the Lord Georges an even number. Marion is heart-broken and Lady Georginas of their acquaintance, about coming; indeed, I'm not sure we shall and reminded each other of little traits of see her after all."

"Then let it be for Friday, and you'll meet my brother-in-law; it's the only day he ever dines at home in the week."

Lord Culduff bowed an assent, and Marion muttered something that possibly meant acquiescence.

they are to meet. I'll write a note to them | the want of those relations of the family before I sleep."

"How angry you are for a mere nothing. Do you imagine that the people who sit round a dinner-table have sworn vows of eternal friendship before the soup?"

"You are too provoking, too thoughtless," said the other, with much asperity of voice, and taking up her gloves and her fan from the chimney-piece, she moved rapidly away and left the room.

CHAPTER XLI.

66
SOME SALON DIPLOMACIES."

LORD CULDUFF, attired in a very gorgeous dressing-gown, and a cap whose gold tassel hung down below his ear, was seated at a writing-table, every detail of whose appliances was an object of art. From a little golden censer at his side a light blue smoke curled, that diffused a delicious perfume through the room; for the noble lord held it, that these adventitious aids invariably penetrated through the sterner material of thought, and relieved by their graceful influence the more laboured efforts of the intellect.

He had that morning been preparing a very careful confidential despatch; he meant it to be a state paper. It was a favourite theory of his, that the Pope might be "exploité," and his own phrase must be employed to express his meaning,- that is, that for certain advantages, not very easily defined, nor intelligible at first blush, the Holy Father might be most profitably employed in governing Ireland. The Pope, in fact, in return for certain things which he did not want, and which we could not give him if he did, was to do for us a number of things perfectly impossible, and just as valueless had they been possible. The whole was a grand dissolving view of a millennial Ireland, with all the inhabitants dressed in green broadcloth; singing "God save the Queen;" while the Pope and the Sacred College were to be in ecstasy over some imaginary concessions of the British Government, and as happy over these supposed benefits as an Indian tribe over a present of glass beads from Birmingham.

which suggest acute study of moral traits, uncompensated by habits of a more reflec tive kind. Rising above the dialectics of the "office," he had soared into the style of the essayist. It was to be one of those despatches which F. O. prints in blue-books, and proudly points to, to show that her sons are as distinguished in letters as they are dexterous in the conduct of negotiations. He had just read aloud a very high-sounding sentence, when Mr. Temple Bramleigh entered, and in that nicely subdued voice which private-secretaryship teaches, said, Mr. Cutbill is below, my lord; will you see him?"

"On no account! The porter has been warned not to admit him, on pain of dismissal. See to it, that I am not intruded on by this man."

"He has managed to get in somehow he is in my room this moment."

66

Get rid of him, then, as best you can. I can only repeat that here he shall not come."

"I think, on the whole, it might be as well to see him: a few minutes would suffice," said Temple, timidly.

“And why, sir, may I ask, am I to be outraged by this man's vulgar presence, even for a few minutes? A few minutes of unmitigated rudeness is an eternity of endurance!"

"He threatens a statement in print; he has a letter ready for The Times," muttered Temple.

"This is what we have come to in England. In our stupid worship of what we call public opinion, we have raised up the most despotic tribunal that ever decided a human destiny. I declare solemnly, I'd almost as soon be an American. I vow to heaven that, with the threat of Printing-House Square over me, I don't see how much worse I had been if born in Kansas or Ohio! "

"It is a regular statement of the Lisconnor Mine, drawn up for the money article, and if only a tithe of it be true

66

-

Why should it be true, sir?" cried the noble lord, in a tone that was almost a scream. "The public does not want truth, - what they want is a scandal a libellous slander on men of rank; men of note like The noble diplomatist had just turned a myself. The vulgar world is never so hapvery pretty phrase on the peculiar nature of py as when it assumes to cancel great pubthe priest; his one-sided view of life, his nat-lic services by some contemptible private ural credulity, nurtured by church observances, his easily satisfied greed, arising from the limited nature of his ambitions, and, lastly, the simplicity of character engendered by

scandal. Lord Culduff has checkmated the Russian Ambassador. I know that, but Moses has three acceptances of his protested for non-payment. Lord Culduff has outwit

ted the Tuileries. Why doesn't he pay | detected the impudent fraud at once. It his bootmaker? That's their chanson, sir, was the superb dignity, the consummate that's the burden of their low vulgar courtesy of this noble viscount, aided by song. As if I, and men of my stamp, were every appliance of taste and luxury around amenable to every petty rule and miserable him, that assured success here." criticism that applies to a clerk in Somerset House. They exact from us the services of a giant, and then would reduce us to their own dwarfish standard, whenever there is question of a moral estimate."

He walked to and fro as he spoke, his excitement increasing at every word, the veins in his forehead swelling and the angles of his mouth twitching with a spasmodic motion. "There, sir," cried he, with a wave of his hand; "let there be no more mention of this man. I shall want to see a draft of the educational project, as soon as it is completed. That will do," and with

this he dismissed him.

No sooner was the door closed on his departure, than Lord Culduff poured some scented water into a small silver ewer, and proceeded to bathe his eyes and temples, and then, sitting down before a little mirror, he smoothed his eyebrows, and patiently disposed the straggling hairs into line. "Who's there? come in," cried he, impatiently, as a tap was heard at the door, and Mr. Cutbill entered with the bold and assured look of a man determined on an insolence.

"So, my lord, your servants have got orders not to admit me- the door is to be shut against me!" said he, walking boldly forward and staring fiercely at the other's face.

66

Quite true, however you came to know it," said Culduff, with a smile of the easiest, pleasantest expression imaginable. "I told Temple Bramleigh this morning to give the orders you speak of. I said it in these words: Cutbill got in here a couple of days ago, when I was in the middle of a despatch, and we got talking of this that and t'other, and the end was, I never could take up the clue of what I had been writing. A bore interrupts, but does not distract you; a clever man is sure, by his suggestiveness, to lead you away to other realms of thought: and so I said, a strict quarantine against two people-I'll neither see Antonelli nor Cutbill."

It was a bold shot, and few men would have had courage for such effrontery; but Lord Culduff could do these things with an air of such seeming candour and naturalness, nothing less than a police-agent could have questioned its sincerity.

"Take that chair, Cutbill, and try a cheroot- I know you like a cheroot. And now for a pleasant gossip; for I will give myself a holiday this morning."

"I am really afraid I interrupt you," beCutbill.

gan

66

You do; I won't affect to deny it. You squash that despatch yonder as effectually as if you threw the ink bottle over it. When once I get to talk with a man like you, I can't go back to the desk again. Don't you know it yourself? Haven't you felt it scores of times? The stupid man is got rid of just as readily as you throw a pebble out of your shoe; it is your clever fellow that pricks you like a nail."

"I'm sorry, my lord, you should feel me so painfully," said Cutbill, laughing, but with an expression that showed how the flattery had touched him.

"You don't know what a scrape I've got into about you."

"About me?"

"Yes. My lady heard you were here the other morning, and gave me a regular scolding for not having sent to tell her. You know you were old friends in Ireland." 'I scarcely ventured to hope her lady. ship would remember me.'

99

What! Not remember your admirable imitations of the speakers in the House? your charming songs that you struck off with such facility. the very best impromptus I ever heard. And, mark you, Cutbill, I knew Theodore Hook intimately, I mean, difference of age and such-like considered, for I was a boy at the time,— and I say it advisedly, you are better than Hook."

"Oh, my lord, this is great flattery!" "Hook was uncertain, too. He was what the French call journalier. Now that you are not."

Cutbill smiled, for, though he did not in the least know the quality ascribed to him, he was sure it was complimentary, and was satisfied.

"Then there was another point of difference between you. Hook was a suob. He had the uneasy consciousness of social inferiority, which continually drove him to undue familiarities. Now, I will say, I never met a man so free from this as yourself. I have made a positive study of you, Had a man of his own rank in life" tried Cutbill, and I protest I think, as regards it on" in this fashion, Cutbill would have tact, you are unrivalled."