24 A CLUB-ROOM. 



simple truth, it does take a good deal to abash 

 him. 



^' He never asked me if you were rich, Lord Jardi- 

 nier," Matuschevitz answered, quietly and drily ; for 

 he disliked that worthy about as much as his good-na- 

 ture and careless temper allowed him to dislike any 

 body. 



" There now, for heaven's sake, Jardinier, don't 

 ask any more questions to-night," cried Tom Gas- 

 coigne, laughing enough to split his sides, " I 

 should think you'd got enough to satisfy a dozen 

 Yankees." 



" I shall ask as many more questions as I please, 

 and I don't see that I've got any thing, as you call 

 it." 



"Oh! don't you?" said Tom quietly, "pray ask 

 more then ; I dare say the count will answer you, and 

 it's very droll." 



" That will be as I please," grumbled the other 

 doggedly, and walked off into the dining room, where 

 he called for a glass of brandy and water, drank it by 

 himself, and stalked away, as it seemed to the regret 

 of nobody. 



" Well," said the riding Russian, breaking the si- 

 lence that ensued on his lordship's departure, "you 

 are a very hospitable Set of fellows, certainly ; for here 

 I have been an hour and a half, talking myself hoarse, 

 and hungry as a man who has not eaten a mouthful 

 but one tough mutton-chop at the ' Cock at Eaton,* 

 since breakfast, and not one of you have offered me a 

 glass of wine, or a mouthful of supper." 



" It 's your own fault, count, for amusing us with 

 such inventions about nobly-born and highly-bred Yan- 

 kee secretaries. I believe they are all sheer imagina- 

 tion. But come along, we ordered some deviled lob- 

 sters, and broiled bones, and Grey announced the 

 arrival this afternoon of some real Colchesters. 



