Does she love him? He is handsome."

"Erpingham? What--you have not heard----"

"Heard what?"

"Oh, nothing: but, pardon me, they wait for me at the card-table. I
should like to stay with you, but you know one must not be selfish; the
table would be broken up without me. No virtue without
self-sacrifice--eh?"

"But one moment. What is the matter with the Erpinghams? have they
quarrelled?"

"Quarrelled?--bah! Quarrelled--no; I dare say she likes him better now
than ever she did before." And Saville limped away to the table.

Godolphin remained for some time abstracted and thoughtful. At length,
just as he was going away, Saville, who, having an unplayable hand and a
bad partner, had somewhat lost his interest in the game, looked up and
beckoned to him.

"Godolphin, my clear fellow, I am to escort a lady to see the lions
to-morrow; a widow--a rich widow; handsome, too. Do, for charity's sake,
accompany us, or meet us at the Colosseum. How well that sounds--eh?
About two."

Godolphin refused at first, but being pressed, assented.

Not surrounded by the lesser glories of modern Rome, but girt with the