MISUNDERSTOOD 279 



the two characters !" pursued Lord Balcombe. 

 " You remember ? Where they meet in the 

 inn." 



" Oh yes," I assured him. " How well I 

 remember it ! In the inn." 



" But wait a moment." He paused. " Now 

 I come to think of it, is it in ' Bleak House,' or 

 am I thinking of something quite different ? I 

 believe it's in ' Romola ' — George Eliot, you 

 know — that scene between the two " 



" Of course," I hastily rejoined. " I thought 

 somehow that it was ' Romola.' " I couldn't 

 help wishing that I had ever read any of the 

 works of this Mr. George Eliot. 



" And yet," he frowned, " perhaps I'm wrong, 

 after all." 



" Perhaps," I echoed timidly. 



" I certainly thought it was ' Bleak House.' " 



" So did I." 



" And yet in ' Romola ' " 



" Yes, isn't it ? I mean, don't they ?" 



Lord Balcombe gazed at me rather sus- 

 piciously, and I suddenly became conscious that 

 I was not creating quite so good an impression 

 as I had intended. 



Before my host could pursue the subject any 

 further, the door was flung open, and a servant 

 appeared upon the threshold. 



" Lord Gorbals !" announced the butler, as a 



