A BALL ROOM, AND A BELLE. 115 



bust as exquisite as Isabella A * 1 ? If so, my lord 

 Jardinier, have at you!" 



" You must find out, Colonel ; you must find out, 

 for after all it's all opinion, you know. Skin-deep ! 

 Skin-deep ! what have politicians like you and I to do 

 with waists, and busts, and beauty?" 



" Talleyrand was a politician. Count, and Lieven is 

 an ambassador, and Marie Esterhazy an ambassa- 

 dress." 



^' True, most republican," cried Matuschevitz, but 

 before he could proceed farther a shout came from be- 

 hind, as they cantered along a green lane leading to 

 the high road, heard clear above the clatter of the 

 galloping hoofs ; and the next moment the fine, portly 

 person of the Duke of Beaufort reined up beside 

 them. 



" AVhat ho ! Count — what ho ! Colonel Fairfax, ex- 

 cuse ceremony, pray, and dine with me en garcon. 

 We shall not sit late, but be good boys, for we must 

 be at the Hunt ball. You go, of course. Colonel Fair- 

 fax — of course they have sent you a card. Every 

 body will be there — that is to say, every body of the 

 three hundred people whom every body calls every 

 body." 



" Thanks, Duke, I shall be very happy. I never 

 heard of the ball 'till Matuschevitz named it just now. 

 But I think I should like to go, that is to say, if they 

 have sent me a card." 



"There is no if about that," said the duke. "If 

 any one had known you were coming, before you made 

 your appearance, from Cafii'aria or the moon, as some 

 of these hereditary geniuses seem to suppose, you 

 would have found your table covered with such things. 

 As it is I know it was spoken of last night." 



"And I know it was sent this morning," rejoined 

 the Russian, " for it came under cover to me before 

 breakfast ; but I did not say a word about it to him, 



