His thoughts flew off with him as knight-errant hailed shrilly at
exceeding critical moment by distressed dames and damsels. Images of
airy towers hung around. His fancy performed miraculous feats. The
towers crumbled. The stars grew larger, seemed to throb with lustre.
His fancy crumbled with the towers of the air, his heart gave a leap, he
turned to Lucy.

"My darling! what have you been doing?" And as if to compensate her for
his little knight-errant infidelity, he pressed very tenderly to her.

"We have been engaged in a charming conversation on domestic cookery,"
interposed Adrian.

"Cookery! such an evening as this?" His face was a handsome likeness of
Hippias at the presentation of bridecake.

"Dearest! you know it's very useful," Lucy mirthfully pleaded.

"Indeed I quite agree with you, child," said Lady Judith, and I think you
have the laugh of us. I certainly will learn to cook some day."

"Woman's mission, in so many words," ejaculated Adrian.

"And pray, what is man's?"

"To taste thereof, and pronounce thereupon."

"Let us give it up to them," said Lady Judith to Richard. "You and I
never will make so delightful and beautifully balanced a world of it."