to compassion for an ill-fated person who failed to quicken her
enthusiasm. In that, too, she was a downright boy. Morsfield was a kind
of Bedlamite to her; amusing in his antics, and requiring to be
manoeuvred and eluded while he lived: once dead, just a tombstone, of
interest only to his family.

She beckoned Aminta to follow her; and, with a smirk of indulgent fun,
commended Lord Adderwood to a study of Selina Collett's botany-folios,
which the urbanest of indifferent gentlemen had slid his eyes over his
nose to inspect before the lunch.

'You ought to know what is going on in town, my dear Aminta. You have
won the earl to a sense of his duty, and he 's at work on the harder task
of winning Lady Charlotte Eglett to a sense of hers. It 's tremendous.
Has been forward some days, and no sign of yielding on either side. Mr.
Eglett, good man, is between them, catching it right and left; and he
deserves his luck for marrying her. Vows she makes him the best of
wives. If he 's content, I 've nothing to complain of. You must be
ready to receive her; my lord is sure to carry the day. You gulp. You
won't be seeing much of her. I 'm glad to say he is condescending to
terms of peace with the Horse Guards. We hear so. You may be throning
it officially somewhere next year. And all 's well that ends well! Say
that to me!'

'It is, when the end comes,' Aminta replied.

Mrs. Lawrence's cool lips were pressed to her cheek. The couple and
their waterman rowed away to the party they had left with the four-in-
hand at their inn.